New series & documentary slate from XLrator Media & J2 Films on the Lifeframe label including ‘Cosplay Universe’ & ‘Origins’

cosplay-universe-2picture1XLrator Media (Jimi: All Is By My Side, The Machine) and J2 Films (We Are X) have announced they will co-produce a slate of pop culture and music-focused documentaries and TV series for worldwide distribution on XLrator Media’s “LIFEFRAME” documentary label. The deal was announced today by XLrator Media CEO Barry Gordon and J2 Films founders Jonathan McHugh and Jonathan Platt.

The companies’ first co-production will be the TV series “ORIGINS,” which will explore the roots of pop culture’s biggest comic book franchises through the eyes of their creators, industry legends and fans. The completed pilot episode features X-MEN comic book creator Chris Claremont. As a young Marvel employee, Claremont was assigned a book that no one else wanted and which was on the verge of cancellation, X-MEN. Over the next 17 years, his work on the title turned it into the biggest franchise in comic book history ­­– spawning 10 feature films, three TV series, countless videogames, and become part of our cultural mythology.

The companies’ first feature documentary co-production will be COSPLAY UNIVERSE, the definitive look at the worldwide cultural phenomenon in which participants transform themselves into iconic pop culture characters. The film will be released in late 2017 with other productions to be announced soon.

XLrator Media and J2 Films will also collaborate on the North American release of the inspirational documentary MAN IN THE CAMO JACKET, about Mike Peters, lead singer of the Welsh rock band The Alarm. The film traces the band’s rise to fame, as well as Peters’ multiple battles with cancer and formation of the Love Hope Strength Foundation (www.lovehopestrength.org) which works to build cancer centers and register bone marrow donors around the world. The film will be released in Spring 2017.

Earlier this year, XLrator Media acquired North American distribution rights from J2 Films/Respect Films for the award-winning documentary SHE MAKES COMICS, about female comic book creators and artists. The film, directed by Marisa Stotter and produced by Stotter, Patrick Meaney and Jordan Rennert, will be released in Summer 2017.

“Our partnership with J2 will enable us to greatly expand our LIFEFRAME documentary programming in exciting new directions, tapping global trends in pop culture and music, to fuel the explosive growth of new digital platforms with enthusiast content,” said XLrator Media CEO Barry Gordon.

“Jonathan McHugh and I are looking forward to reconnecting with Barry Gordon and working with such an amazing marketing and distribution team that understands both music and pop culture documentaries and programming,” said J2’s Jonathan Platt.

Previous LIFEFRAME releases in 2016 include Queen Mimi, At All Costs and It’s So Easy and Other Lies about Guns N’ Roses bass player Duff McKagan.