“The Simpsons Game” nominated for Best Action Game of 2007 at 1UP Awards

Award-winning composer Christopher Lennertz has reason to celebrate this week as two of his films, Fox's live action-with-animation comedy Alvin And The Chipmunks and Yari Film Group’s seasonal comedy The Perfect Holiday, both opened in the Top 10.

Alvin And The Chipmunks chipped in $45 million in an incredibly strong second-place opening that helped to stir the recently somnolent marketplace. The Perfect Holiday had a first-weekend haul of almost $3 million to nab sixth place, with a Wednesday bow pushing cumulative to $3.6 million. Industry wide, the weekend's $163 million in collective boxoffice marked a big 35% uptick against the same frame last year. Additionally, his score for The Simpsons Game has helped the hit video offering receive a nomination for Best Action Game of 2007 at the 1UP Awards.

Born in a small town north of Boston, in the same area as one of his heroes, famed American composer Leonard Bernstein, with whom he later studied. Lennertz has composed for film, television and videogames. His music awards and nominations include, an Emmy for the CW’s Supernatural, three 2007 Film & TV Music Awards for Supernatural and Tortilla Heaven (collaborating with Ozomatli) the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Award for Medal of Honor: Rising Sun, and The Don B. Ray Educational Achievement Award.

Lennertz’ musical education began at the age of nine. After learning to play the trumpet and guitar, he then studied composition, jazz arranging, and theory in high school. He moved to L.A. to study at USC’s film music program with composers David Raksin (“Laura”), Christopher Young (“Spiderman 3”) and Basil Poledouris (“Conan The Barbarian”).

Lennertz additional film, TV and videogame credits include: Soul Plane in which he collaborated with RZA (Wu-Tang Clan), Baby Face Nelson, Art House, Fox’s Brimstone, and MTV’s Tough Enough, which appeared on the Billboard top 100 charts for weeks; his powerful, full orchestral score for the Stephen Spielberg-created videogame Medal of Honor: Rising Sun led him to score more Medal of Honor games as well as the popular James Bond videogame.

In addition to this week’s hits, Lennertz recently scored the sports parody film, The Comebacks and is currently at work on the parody film, Meet the Spartans.