THE DECEMBERISTS Share 'The Better Part of Bravery' From LAIKA's WILDWOOD

The original motion picture soundtrack to 'Wildwood,' LAIKA's new stop-motion adventure directed by Travis Knight and based on the acclaimed novel written by The Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis, will be released digitally on 23rd October via Decca Records, in line with the film opening in cinemas in the U.S., Canada, the UK and Ireland.

The soundtrack brings together an original score by Academy Award-winning composer Dario Marianelli (Atonement) and three brand new songs from The Decemberists, bringing the story back to the musician who first imagined 'Wildwood' itself. Released on Decca is 'The Better Part of Bravery' by The Decemberists, the song which closes the whole film, making music an unusually integral part of the journey from page to screen. A world first created by Meloy and Ellis as a novel now returns to the world of music. Also released is 'Journey to South Wood' by Dario Marianelli, giving a taste of the epic and beautiful score to come.

Dario Marianelli says of the new soundtrack, 'What a joy it was to venture into Colin Meloy's wild imagination, and in the beautiful, lovingly handcrafted world of LAIKA's movie. It made for an unpredictable and at times quite daunting musical journey - and I loved being lost in this particular forest.'

Colin Meloy of The Decemberists adds, ''Wildwood' has been part of my life for many years, and seeing the story transformed like this has been an extraordinary experience. Writing the song for the end credits gave me a chance to return to the world of 'Wildwood' in a different way. There's something particularly meaningful about having music accompany the audience as they leave the forest and the story comes to a close.'

David Burke, LAIKA's Chief Marketing & Operations Officer and Executive Producer of Wildwood, says, 'Music has always been part of the DNA of 'Wildwood,' so bringing together Dario Marianelli's extraordinary score and new songs from The Decemberists feels like a natural extension of the world Colin Meloy first imagined. Dario has given the film a sweeping emotional and cinematic scale, while Colin's music brings the story full circle. Together, they've created something that is both deeply personal and epic in its ambition - a remarkable musical expression of the world of 'Wildwood.''

Directed and produced by Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings, Masters of the Universe) and written by Chris Butler (ParaNorman, Masters of the Universe), 'Wildwood' is LAIKA's most ambitious film to date.

First published in 2011, 'Wildwood' was Colin Meloy's debut novel and the beginning of the 'Wildwood Chronicles', created with illustrator Carson Ellis. The connection between the books and Meloy's work with The Decemberists has always felt natural: both share a fascination with folklore, the natural world, strange characters and stories that seem to sit somewhere between the familiar and the fantastical.

For the film, that relationship becomes literal. Marianelli provides the musical language of LAIKA's 'Wildwood,' while The Decemberists step directly into the world their frontman created. The result connects the story's beginnings on the page with its new life on screen, 15 years after the first novel appeared.

'Wildwood' features a voice cast led by Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Prue McKeel and Jacob Tremblay as Curtis, alongside Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits and Richard E. Grant.

The film will premiere worldwide at BFI London Film Festival on Sunday, October 11th, ahead of the October 23rd soundtrack and theatrical releases.