MANILA, Philippines — BINI’s growing connection with Hollywood animation may not end with a movie soundtrack.
The filmmakers behind DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming “Forgotten Island” have expressed interest in directing a music video for the eight-member Filipino girl group, opening the possibility of another creative collaboration between BINI and directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado.
ABS-CBN News reported on August 20 that Crawford and Mercado, the writer-directors of the Filipino culture-inspired animated film, want to direct a BINI music video. The development comes after the P-pop powerhouse became closely involved with the film through its original soundtrack song, “A Parallel World.”
While no formal music-video project has been announced, the directors’ interest is notable because BINI’s involvement with “Forgotten Island” has already gone well beyond a conventional soundtrack placement.
BINI’s ‘A Parallel World’ became part of a much bigger Filipino project
“A Parallel World” was officially released on July 23 and was created specifically for “Forgotten Island.” The track was written by the movie’s Filipino-American composer Nathan Matthew David and producer-songwriter Shawn Wasabi.
The song blends English and Filipino lyrics and centers on enduring friendship — a theme that closely mirrors the film itself.
Vogue Philippines reported that BINI recorded the song in Los Angeles over two days with David and Wasabi. The members also watched an early version of the movie at DreamWorks, an experience that reportedly moved several of them to tears.
For BINI, the collaboration is also aligned with a broader ambition: bringing original Filipino music to international audiences.
That goal has become increasingly visible as the group expands beyond the Philippine pop scene into international festivals, tours and major entertainment collaborations.
Comic-Con pushed the BINI–DreamWorks partnership onto a global stage
The partnership received another boost in July when BINI appeared at the “Forgotten Island” panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2026.
GMA News reported that BINI joined Crawford, Mercado and cast members H.E.R., Liza Soberano and Dave Franco for the DreamWorks presentation.
Philstar later reported that BINI made a surprise appearance during the panel and performed “A Parallel World,” further connecting the group with the movie in front of an international pop-culture audience.
That makes the directors’ reported interest in handling a future BINI music video less surprising. Crawford and Mercado have already seen the group perform, worked within the same creative campaign and even made sketches of the members during their recording sessions.
A full-fledged music video directed by the pair, however, would take that relationship into entirely different territory.
Why Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado matter
Crawford is already well established in animation, having directed DreamWorks’ critically acclaimed “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.”
Mercado, a Filipino-American filmmaker, worked alongside Crawford on that film before the pair developed “Forgotten Island,” a project deeply influenced by Filipino mythology, culture and personal experience.
Vogue Philippines reported that the filmmakers spent around six years developing the story, involving hundreds of artists in the Philippines and United States. Mercado and Crawford have described the production as a celebration of Filipino culture while building its emotional story around friendship.
The film follows childhood best friends Jo and Raissa, voiced by Grammy-winning Filipino-American musician H.E.R. and Filipino actress Liza Soberano.
Their friendship is threatened after they enter the mysterious island of Nakali, where remaining too long causes their memories to disappear.
The voice cast also includes Lea Salonga, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng, Dave Franco and Jenny Slate.
‘Forgotten Island’ is becoming a showcase for Filipino music
BINI is far from the only Filipino act involved in the production.
Recent soundtrack announcements show that the movie is assembling an unusually deep roster of Filipino and Filipino-American talent.
Alongside BINI, the soundtrack features SB19, Lea Salonga, KATSEYE’s Sophia Laforteza, Ruby Ibarra, Carl Angelo, H.E.R. and Liza Soberano. Billboard Philippines reported that BINI contributes “A Parallel World,” while SB19 performs its version of Francis M.’s “Mga Kababayan” and Sophia Laforteza takes on a new rendition of INXS’ “Never Tear Us Apart.”
More recent soundtrack coverage reported that the full album is scheduled for release on September 18, one week before the film’s September 25 U.S. theatrical opening.
In the Philippines, “Forgotten Island” is scheduled to open in cinemas on September 23, 2026.
Could a BINI music video actually happen?
For now, fans should treat the possibility as an expression of interest rather than a confirmed project.
There has been no publicly announced song, production schedule or release date for a Crawford-and-Mercado-directed BINI video.
Still, the idea carries more weight than an ordinary celebrity wish list.
The filmmakers are already creatively linked with BINI through “A Parallel World,” DreamWorks has repeatedly included the group in the movie’s international campaign, and BINI’s presence at Comic-Con placed the girls alongside the film’s directors and Hollywood cast.
If the collaboration eventually moves forward, it could give BINI something relatively rare in P-pop: a music video shaped by filmmakers behind a major Hollywood animation production.
And with “Forgotten Island” still weeks away from reaching Philippine cinemas, the collaboration between BINI and DreamWorks may not have revealed its final surprise yet.
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