Januel Mercado

Known for Directing

Januel Patricio Mercado (born November 23, 1984) is a Filipino-American feature animation director, storyboard artist, and writer. A San Jose State University graduate, he has been with DreamWorks Animation since 2008. He started as a story artist on Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) and contributed to Turbo (2013), Penguins of Madagascar (2014), and Trolls (2016). Mercado made his co-directorial debut on Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) alongside Joel Crawford, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and BAFTA.

Born

November 23, 1984 (age 41)

Birthplace

Stockton, California, USA

Filmography

14 films, 1 show

Movie DirectorRelease Date ↓All GenresAll ErasAny RatingAny Runtime

TMDB4.1

Forgotten Island

2026 · 1h 49m

country: United States

While celebrating their last night together, high school graduates and best friends Jo and Raissa stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to the fantastical island of Nakali. When they discover that the memories of their entire friendship are the price for returning home, Jo and Raissa must race to find a way to leave the island before they forget each other forever.

TMDB3.4

Dear Diary: World's First Pranks

2021 · 3m

country: United States

Eep reveals how a comical accident led her and Dawn to discover the joys of tricking their families and set about performing "the world's first pranks."

Movie DirectorRelease Date ↓All GenresAll ErasAny RatingAny Runtime

TMDB4.1

Forgotten Island

2026 · 1h 49m

country: United States

While celebrating their last night together, high school graduates and best friends Jo and Raissa stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to the fantastical island of Nakali. When they discover that the memories of their entire friendship are the price for returning home, Jo and Raissa must race to find a way to leave the island before they forget each other forever.

TMDB3.4

Dear Diary: World's First Pranks

2021 · 3m

country: United States

Eep reveals how a comical accident led her and Dawn to discover the joys of tricking their families and set about performing "the world's first pranks."