Decca Records will release the Wildwood Soundtrack for the LAIKA Studios’ animated feature. The 26-track album will basically cover the entire original score and the original song “The Better Part of Bravery” by The Decemberists.
Keep reading to learn more about the song and its release date.
We’re weeks away from LAIKA’s handcrafted fantasyarrivingin theaters on October 23, 2026. And if you’re waiting for your chance to enter the Wildwood, you won’t have to wait long for the soundtrack.
That’s because the Wildwood soundtrack also arrives that day, digitall and physically on CD or vinyl from Decca Records. Moreover, the 26-track album will feature the film’s entire original score by Dario Marianelli. It will also feature the original song “The Better Part of Bravery” by The Decemberists.
That final collaboration is especially fitting since the film’s based on a book by Colin Meloy. Meloy, of course, is The Decemberists’ frontman. So, you know the song’s going to serve as the bridge between the source novel and the animated adaptation.
However, the titles for the score cues seem equally as important. For instance, “The Impassable Wilderness” suggests the forest will represent the unknown.
Meanwhile, “A Wildwood Chase,” “A Flight and a Dogfight,” and “Into Battle” promise kinetic set pieces. Then, there’s “Alexei’s Story”, which hints at deeper emotional flashbacks, while “Homecoming” promises a resolution.
A few of the tracks are also under a minute long, while others cross the four-minute mark. That range suggests quick character beats alongside generally longer narrative sequences.
Here’s the complete album track list:
Obviously, the Wildwood Soundtrack is mostly scoring cues. So, much of the soundtrack is riding on Marianelli’s shoulders.
Luckily, Marianelli is a particularly good match for the film. The award-winning composer has already proven that he can move between lyrical intimacy, intricate motion, and storybook scale. And her can do it without making them feel cheap and generic.
That’s a good thing because animation needs that flexibility. A miniature facial adjustment or a hand-built leaf can carry as much narrative weight as an army, for example. And the score basically has to honor both just the same.
But that’s not all. Marianelli previously scored LAIKA’s The Boxtrolls and Knight’s Kubo and the Two Strings, making Wildwood a reunion of sorts. However, it also means that Marianelli is quite familiar with the studio’s literary style.
So, we can expect the soundtrack to respond vividly to the film’s visuals. In other words, we can expect the rhythms to feel physical and the instrumental colors to seem carved into the scenery. Moreover, we can expect the melody to maintain the film’s childlike point of view, regardless of how the story turns.
Speaking of that story, Wildwood is directed by Travis Knight with a script from Chris Butler. As I have said, it’s an animated, stop-motion adaptation of the fantasy novel by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis. As a result, it follows Prue McKeel’s adventures into a hidden forest outside Portland as she tries to find her lost, abducted younger brother.
And according to the film’s trailers, it will feature a multitude of warring factions, remarkable creatures, and a secret realm. That is on top of the intimate family stakes set against an expansive fantasy mythology. All in all, that’s a generous canvas for a composer.
Moreover, it’s stop-motion, which comes with its own built-in pulse. And that’s because an artist must create every movement by individually advancing the puppets and objects one increment at a time. So, the film must rely on the soundtrack to maintain continuity across them all.
And that’s on top of the usual animation requirements for making the film feel real. For instance, the Wildwood Soundtrack must give the forest its personality and shape. In other words, it must make known to us the invisible roots, wings, weather, distance, and unseen inhabitants beyond the frame.
Luckily, the track list already suggests how the soundtrack will pull that off. For instance, “Meet the McKeels” likely presents the McKeels’ family dynamics, while “Into the Wild Wood” will mark the start of the adventure.
Meanwhile, “The Coyotes” and “Iphigenia & the Mystics” are likely motifs for the forest’s various groups and factions. Then, there is “The Ivy’s Waltz,” which suggests a graceful yet mysterious dance.
In other words, we can expect the Wildwood Soundtrack to feature motifs for Prue and her family, the wilderness, and the forces competing within it. And if it does, it might be a rewarding listening experience long after the credits roll.
However, the Wildwood Soundtrack won’t be the only soundtrack release for the film. That’s because Decca Records is dropping the Wildwood Sessions on October 16.
Please note that the Wildwood Soundtrack is the official soundtrack for the film. It’s the only one with the film’s score and The Decemberists’ song, which will likely be the end credits track.
Wildwood Sessions: Music Inspired by LAIKA’s Wildwood will be a separate “inspired by” album. In other words, it’ll feature independent artists interpreting the film’s themes, which may or may not appear in the film. It’ll likely be a great album in its own right. However, it might disappoint you if you got it expecting the other album.
There’s nothing like a good film soundtrack, and the Wildwood Soundtrack looks to be just that. I can only hope that it presents the film’s story in music enough for us to revisit the film just by listening to it.
However, that’s just my opinion. But what’s yours?
Post your thoughts in the forums or in the comments below.
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