Coming soon from A24, a new revisionist take on the Matter of the Greenwood.
Sponsored by The Association for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching of the Medieval in Popular Culture, the Medieval Studies on Screen blog (formerly Medieval Studies at the Movies) supplements an earlier discussion list and is intended as a gateway to representations of the medieval on film, television, computers, and portable electronic devices.
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Out Now - The Music of the How to Train Your Dragon Trilogy
The Music of the How to Train Your Dragon Trilogy: A Guide to the Scores of John Powell
Erik Heine
Full details and ordering information at https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-music-of-the-how-to-train-your-dragon-trilogy/.
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 208
Bibliographic Info: 101 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9367-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5232-0
Imprint: McFarland
About the Book
One of the many reasons why children and adults love the How to Train Your Dragon films is the music. John Powell composed the music for all three films, maintaining thematic consistency while writing new themes for each film. This book serves as a score guide for the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy. Every note has been examined to thoroughly discuss the music for Hiccup, Toothless and the other dragons, Vikings, and the enemies and friends that they encounter. It features interviews with the composer and nearly 100 musical excerpts.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments viii
Foreword by Tim Greiving 1
Preface 3
Introduction 5
1. Musical Influences on the HTTYD Music 15
2. Pitch Collections 24
3. The Themes of the HTTYD Trilogy 30
4. How to Train Your Dragon Cue Analysis 58
5. How to Train Your Dragon 2 Cue Analysis 96
6. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Cue Analysis 134
7. Themes Across the Trilogy 174
Conclusion 185
Appendix 189
Chapter Notes 195
Bibliography 197
Index 199
About the Author(s)
Erik Heine is a professor of music theory at Oklahoma City University. He is the author of one book and several articles and book chapters concerning film music analysis.
