Netflix has finally acknowledged the existence of Brad Bird’s “Ray Gunn,” sharing the first official images of the upcoming neo-noir sci-fi action animated movie. The film is scheduled to premiere sometime this year.
“Ray Gunn” will not be completed in its originally intended hand-drawn animation style. Instead, it appears the film is moving forward in CGI, likely a practical decision given the scale and budget of the project. Regardless, this is great news, and will surely please animation fans worldwide.
“In Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, private eye Raymond Gunn is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder, and a multimedia star named Venus Nova,” reads the official synopsis.
Furthermore, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Waits have been added to the voice cast — they will respectively play Raymond Gunn, Venus Nova, and Eyera.
“Ray Gunn has been in my mind for over 30 years. The film is a blend of sci-fi and classic detective movies from the ’40s…it’s Maltese Falcon meets Buck Rogers,” Bird said in a statement. “I’ve been a fan of both of those sorts of genres, and blending them together seemed fun — and a chance to play with a lot of very cinematic elements and extreme characters.”
So, yes, finally, “Ray Gunn” — the sci-fi noir he’s been trying to make for over three decades — is finally happening. After years in limbo, Netflix stepped in as the only studio willing to back its hefty $150M budget. Production began in 2024.
When Brad Bird hits, he really hits. I’m talking “The Iron Giant,” “Ratatouille,” “The Incredibles,” and even his live-action outing, “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol.” Sure, he has a reputation for being uncompromising and difficult to collaborate with, but many great artists are. Bird is a true visionary.
Not more than 24 hours later, Guy Ritchie’s role offer to Markle has now reportedly been withdrawn. The story goes that they don’t want her in the show anymore “after intense backlash in the U.K.”