Brad Bird’s Decades-Long Dream: Why the Sci-Fi Noir ‘Ray Gunn’ is Finally Happening

After nearly three decades in development limbo, acclaimed director Brad Bird is finally bringing his passion project, the animated sci-fi noir film Ray Gunn, to the screen. Set for a 2026 premiere on Netflix, the movie has been rescued by the streaming giant after its ambitious scope and budget caused other studios, including Apple, to step away.

The Plot: A Retro-Futuristic Detective Story

Ray Gunn is a neo-noir science fiction adventure that tells the story of Raymund Gunn, who holds a unique distinction as the last human private detective in a sprawling, futuristic metropolis known as Metropia. The city is populated by an array of both humans and aliens, setting the stage for a gritty, retro-futuristic mystery that Bird himself has described as a mash-up of The Maltese Falcon and Buck Rogers, “but hopefully with a bit more action and funnier.

Bird, known for his work on classics like The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille, originally conceived of the film with co-writer Matthew Robbins back in the 1990s. The project was initially shelved when Bird moved to direct The Iron Giant, but the director never forgot the story.

Production and Creative Team

The film, which is being produced by Skydance Animation, has seen a recent surge in development activity.

• Voice Cast: The project has secured an exciting voice cast, including Academy Award winners Sam Rockwell as the titular detective Raymond “Ray” Gunn, Scarlett Johansson as Venus Star, and frequent Bird collaborator John Ratzenberger.
• Music and Collaborators: Composer Michael Giacchino, who scored many of Bird’s most beloved films, is attached to provide the music, ensuring a score that matches the film’s cinematic vision.
• Animation Shift: While Bird initially intended for the film to use traditional hand-drawn animation, the scale and reported budget (said to be in excess of $150 million) necessitated a shift to Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) to realize the ambitious world of Metropia.

The journey of Ray Gunn from dormant script to active production is a testament to Bird’s commitment and Netflix’s willingness to back ambitious, high-budget animation. The project was specifically cited as a creative and financial dealbreaker when Apple dissolved its partnership with Skydance in 2024.

Now, with production well underway and early test screenings yielding positive results, Brad Bird’s long-awaited return to original animated storytelling is a highly anticipated event for animation fans worldwide. The film will be a key feature in Netflix’s 2026 slate, allowing Bird to focus entirely on his passion project after stepping away from the director’s chair for Pixar’s upcoming Incredibles 3.