The late XXXTENTACION is the inspiration behind Make Out Hill, a new animated feature officially announced to the world today at Dream Con 2026.
The film, which marks the first of its kind to be inspired by X’s life and legacy, is built on a partnership between the Bad Vibes Forever artist’s estate and Martian Blueberry, an animation studio founded by the husband-and-wife duo of Carl Jones (The Boondocks) and Love Jones.
For those unfamiliar, just know that Martian Blueberry is a well-established name in the animation space. Past work from the studio includes partnerships with Roc Nation, Major League Baseball, Sony Music, the Los Angeles Lakers, and more. Carl, meanwhile, is a Peabody Award winner with collaborations with Tyler, The Creator and Kid Cudi to his name. Put another way, it’s clear the X estate is confident that this story is in good hands.
In a statement shared with Complex, Carl and Love Jones pointed to a shared artistic sensitivity between their work at Martian Blueberry, and that of X.
“XXXTENTACION changed music by refusing to fit inside a box. At Martian Blueberry, we've built our studio around that same philosophy,” the duo said. “Rather than making a traditional biopic, we're creating an original cinematic experience inspired by Jah's imagination, vulnerability, and fearless creativity. We're grateful to his mother Cleo and the estate for trusting us with something so personal, and we're committed to creating a film fans will remember for generations.”
X was just 20 years old when he was fatally shot in his home state of Florida in 2018. At the time, he was mere months removed from the release of ?, his second studio album. Skins, led by the Ye and Travis Barker collab “One Minute,” was posthumously released later that year, followed by Bad Vibes Forever in 2019. The latter’s somber closing track, “It’s All Fading to Black,” featured Barker’s blink-182.
While casting and an official release date for Make Out Hill haven’t yet been announced, the film, now in pre-production, is expected to follow the story of “a fractured young soul traveling through interconnected fantasy worlds in search of the missing pieces of his heart,” per a synopsis shared with Complex.
“As a mother, one of the greatest gifts was watching Jah create without limits,” X’s mother, Cleopatra Bernard, said of partnering on the new film. “He poured his heart, his questions, his struggles, and his dreams into everything he made. Make Out Hill isn’t about recreating his life—it’s about honoring his spirit, his imagination, and the message he left behind about growth, self-discovery, and transformation.”
Make Out Hill follows 2022’s Sabaah Folayan-directed documentary Look at Me, which took its title from X’s debut single and Hot 100 breakout hit. The new film, however, will clearly be taking a markedly different approach.
“I believe fans will recognize pieces of the artist they loved throughout this journey, and I couldn’t be more excited for the world to experience it,” Bernard added in a statement shared with Complex. “We’re honored to partner with Martian Blueberry to bring this vision to life and give fans a new way to experience the heart and creativity that defined his legacy.”
