Hop Lays Golden Egg - Score by Christopher Lennertz

HOP LAYS GOLDEN EGG

HIGHEST GROSSING OPENING WEEKEND OF 2011

SCORE BY AWARD-WINNING COMPOSER CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ

LOS ANGELES – The adventures of EB and Easter Island are number one at the box office. Universal Pictures' HOP made an estimated $38.1 million to claim the title of highest-grossing opening weekend in 2011 so far. The film is scored by award-winning composer Christopher Lennertz, who also collaborated with HOP director Tim Hill on 2007's box office champion Alvin and the Chipmunks. Starring Russell Brand and James Marsden, this combination of state-of-the-art animation and live action tells the tale of an out-of-work slacker who injures the Easter Bunny and must take him in while he recovers. The score album is available on Varèse Sarabande Records.

Director Tim Hill describes Christopher Lennertz’s score for Hop as “lush, diverse, vivid, magical, playful and yet unified.” He went on to say, “I really love what Chris did with his themes and how he kept percussion alive in the orchestration throughout. He found places to elevate scenes with colors and punctuation where I hadn’t thought it possible. The score has so many great touches, ranging from a classic animation style to blues-based and percussion driven pieces, all of which add up to a thrilling listening experience.”

Hop producer Chris Meledandri (Despicable Me, Ice Age) was also impressed with Lennertz’s score for the movie: "Chris has written beautiful music for our film. As a storyteller, the music has unquestionably added another dimension to the film weaving narrative, evoking emotion, building suspense and supporting humor,” he explains. “When you take the film away, these compositions stand on their own; in fact, they soar."

Lennertz’s film credits span from major family films Alvin and the Chipmunks, Marmaduke, and Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, to political thriller The Deal, starring Christian Slater and Selma Blair, to Soul Plane, a collaboration with RZA of Wu-Tang Clan. His successes in television include the CW’s Supernatural. Lennertz’s scored Stephen Spielberg's videogame Medal of Honor: Rising Sun, which led him to score more Medal of Honor games as well as the popular James Bond videogame. Awards and nominations include an Emmy nod, three Film & TV Music Awards, a BMI Film Music Award, and the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Award. He recently spearheaded The Concert for Haiti, an orchestral concert piece combining original Lennertz music with many other leading film composers to benefit the victims of the Haiti earthquake.