Netflix greenlights Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn
Netflix has greenlit Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn, described as a sci‑fi detective project that attaches Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Waits. The project expands Bird’s creative range and represents a streamer investing in auteur-driven, genre-blending features. (x.com)
Netflix and Skydance Animation have unveiled *Ray Gunn*, Brad Bird’s next feature, with Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Waits leading the voice cast. (netflix.com, deadline.com) Netflix’s April 9 announcement described the film as a retro-futuristic detective noir set in Metropia, with Rockwell voicing Raymond Gunn and Johansson voicing Venus Nova. Tom Waits is also in the cast, alongside John Ratzenberger. (netflix.com, variety.com) Bird told Netflix the movie mixes the private-eye stories and science-fiction serials he grew up on, calling it “Maltese Falcon meets Buck Rogers.” Netflix released first-look images showing jetpacks, flying cars and a city designed as “1939’s idea of the future.” (netflix.com, ign.com) The project has been in Bird’s orbit for decades. Multiple reports this week described *Ray Gunn* as a long-gestating passion project, and Netflix says the film will debut in 2026. (ign.com, animationmagazine.net) That makes *Ray Gunn* Bird’s first feature since *Incredibles 2* opened in June 2018. Bird’s filmography has mostly moved between family animation and one live-action studio tentpole, *Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol*, released in 2011. (boxofficemojo.com, the-numbers.com) The movie also extends Netflix’s partnership with Skydance Animation. The companies previously released *Spellbound* in November 2024, and Skydance has positioned *Ray Gunn* as one of its next major animated features for the streamer. (netflix.com, skydance.com) Bird is directing from a screenplay credited to Bird and Matthew Robbins. Michael Giacchino, who scored *The Incredibles*, *Ratatouille* and *Incredibles 2*, is also attached. (imdb.com, ign.com) For Netflix, the pitch is now clearer than the teaser that circulated earlier this week: a Brad Bird original, a noir mystery with aliens, and a 2026 release window. The next step is a full trailer and a firm premiere date. (netflix.com, variety.com)
