Brad Bird Says ‘1906’ Could Finally Happen as an Eight-Episode Limited Series

Now that Brad Bird has made “Ray Gunn,” a 30-year passion project plagued by delays and studio switcheroos, will he finally get to realize “1906”?

Speaking at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, Bird admitted that while he has not had much experience directing in television, he is open to the format for “1906,” saying it is a story that naturally lends itself to a miniseries.

It would lend itself well to multiple episodes.

The project centers on the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Bird has been trying to adapt James Dalessandro’s 2004 historical novel since 2007, but he said the effort never advanced far enough.

The novel chronicles the earthquake and the massive fires that followed, which killed more than 3,000 people and destroyed over 80% of San Francisco. Bird has long envisioned the adaptation as something with the “size of a giant movie.” When asked whether it could span multiple seasons, he said he envisions it as an eight-episode limited series.

“1906” is one of those projects—an “epic mystery”—so big and so ambitious that it always seemed unlikely to get made. Bird’s efforts to bring it to the screen have been hampered by creative ambition, budget concerns, and changing studio priorities.

While Bird developed the project at Disney/Pixar following the success of “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille,” the estimated budget reportedly climbed well beyond what the studio was comfortable approving, especially since the story was not a straightforward family film. Bird also wanted to use innovative visual effects and extensively recreate early 20th-century San Francisco, further driving up the cost.

Bird ultimately moved on to direct “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” “Tomorrowland,” and “Incredibles 2.” Although he has occasionally said he still hopes to make “1906” someday, the project has remained in development limbo for nearly two decades because no studio has been willing to commit the enormous budget needed to realize his vision.

It’s disappointing that Bird now appears to be shifting his vision for “1906” from a feature film to a limited series, but if that’s what it takes to finally get the project made, it may be the best path forward.