Academy Awards submission
Studio Laika will submit “The Better Part of Bravery” from its animated feature Wildwood for consideration in the original song category at the upcoming Academy Awards. The track, performed by The Decemberists, plays during the end credits of the film.
The movie is based on the debut novel by Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy and serves as the beginning of the Wildwood Chronicles. Meloy noted that writing a song for the end credits provided a way to revisit the story as it draws to a close.
Plot and production
Wildwood centers on teenager Prue McKeel, voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee, whose brother is abducted by a murder of crows. Her rescue mission leads her into the Impassable Wilderness, an enchanted forest hidden just outside Portland, Oregon. Accompanied by her classmate Curtis Mehlberg, voiced by Jacob Tremblay, Prue encounters talking animals, bandits, and figures motivated by grief and ambition as a conflict threatens the forest.
The film is directed and produced by Travis Knight and written by Chris Butler. Its score was composed by Dario Marianelli. David Burke, Laika’s chief marketing and operations officer and an executive producer on the film, stated that the combination of Marianelli’s score and new music from The Decemberists reflects the musical identity of the project.
Soundtrack and release
The soundtrack, featuring the submission track alongside two bonus songs by The Decemberists titled “Bandit Kind” and “Alexandra’s Lullaby,” is set for release on Decca Records. The release coincides with the film’s theatrical rollout in cinemas across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, following a worldwide premiere at the BFI London Film Festival.
