# 30 Years in the Making — Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn Is Netflix’s Most Ambitious Animated Film Yet

URL: https://technosports.co.in/30-years-in-the-making-brad-birds-ray-gunn/  
Published: 2026-05-08  
Updated: 2026-05-08  
Author: Reetam Bodhak

Imagine *The Maltese Falcon* crashing headfirst into *Buck Rogers* — with aliens, jetpacks, and an Art Deco city that never stops growing. That’s **Ray Gunn**, the passion project that two-time Oscar winner **Brad Bird** (*The Incredibles*, *Ratatouille*) has been dreaming about for over three decades. And it’s finally almost here.

### Ray Gunn: Everything Need to Know

| Detail | Info |
| --- | --- |
| **Title** | Ray Gunn |
| **Director** | Brad Bird |
| **Platform** | Netflix (Exclusive) |
| **Release** | Late 2026 |
| **Animation Studio** | Skydance Animation |
| **Genre** | Sci-Fi Noir / Animated Mystery |
| **Setting** | Metropia — alternate future as seen from 1939 |
| **Budget** | $150+ million |
| **Festival Debut** | Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026 |

### What Is *Ray Gunn* About?

In **Metropia**, a gigantic city in an alternate future as imagined from 1939, private eye **Raymond Gunn** (Sam Rockwell) is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder, and a multimedia star named **Venus Nova** (Scarlett Johansson).

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/raysgsg.jpg)

In Bird’s vision of Metropia, cities just kept growing taller and more streamlined — cars could fly, and people navigated life with jetpacks — built on an Art Deco-inspired, pre-World War II sense of optimism.

Bird himself sums it up perfectly: “The film is a blend of sci-fi and classic detective movies from the ’40s — it’s *Maltese Falcon* meets *Buck Rogers*.” [whats-on-netflix](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/ray-gunn-animated-movie-netflix-release-date-everything-we-know/)

### The Voice Cast

**Sam Rockwell** voices Raymond Gunn, the last human private detective. **Scarlett Johansson** voices Venus Nova, the world’s most famous pop star whose scandals threaten to destroy her career — and may even cost her life. **Tom Waits** plays Eyera, Ray’s most trusted compatriot, who also happens to be a one-eyed alien. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Gunn)

Johansson called working with Bird a career milestone, saying: “This project is so uniquely special because it is a total realization of where Brad is currently on his artistic journey. I can’t wait for audiences to see this extraordinary animation that looks like nothing else out there.” [whats-on-netflix](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/ray-gunn-animated-movie-netflix-release-date-everything-we-know/)

For more on Netflix’s biggest upcoming films, visit [TechnoSports](https://technosports.co.in).

### A Dream Team Behind the Camera

Bird reassembled his frequent collaborators — music composer **Michael Giacchino** (who has scored every Bird film since *The Incredibles*), character designers **Teddy Newton** and **Tony Fucile**, editor **Darren T. Holmes**, and storyboard artist **Jeffrey Lynch**. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Gunn)

*Ray Gunn* will be the third feature to emerge from the multi-year deal between Netflix and Skydance Animation, following *Spellbound* (2024) and *Swapped* (2026).

### Why This Could Win Awards

Since his directorial debut *The Iron Giant* in 1999, Brad Bird has been challenging audiences’ expectations of what animated films can do — and who they’re for. “There’s a big chunk of people who don’t watch animation,” Bird has said. “That’s a group I’m anxious to persuade because it’s an amazing art form that is way too limited in people’s minds.”

With a $150M+ budget, Hollywood’s most acclaimed animation director, and a cast that reads like an Oscar night guest list, *Ray Gunn* is shaping up to be a serious awards contender.

Learn more about the noir genre that inspired this film on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_noir).

Stay updated on Netflix’s biggest 2026 releases at [TechnoSports](https://technosports.co.in).

### FAQs

### **Q: When does *Ray Gunn* release on Netflix?**

 A: *Ray Gunn* is confirmed for a **late 2026** exclusive release on Netflix, with no official date announced yet.

### **Q: Is *Ray Gunn* suitable for children or is it more adult-oriented?**

A: Brad Bird has described it as a more **adult, noir-genre project** — sophisticated in tone — though no official age rating has been confirmed yet.