Sci-Fi Noir: Ray Gunn Hits Netflix This Fall

Brad Bird's ambitious animated film, "Ray Gunn," is set to debut on Netflix later this year, bringing a 30-year-old vision to life. The movie features Sam Rockwell as the title character, a private eye operating in a futuristic, alternate 1939. Scarlett Johansson lends her voice to Venus Nova, a multimedia star, and Tom Waits voices Eyera, Gunn's alien companion.

The story unfolds in the vast city of Metropia, where Gunn becomes entangled in a complex case involving murder and mayhem, with Johansson's character playing a pivotal, seductive role. Bird describes "Ray Gunn" as a fusion of science fiction and classic 1940s detective films, akin to "Maltese Falcon" meeting "Buck Rogers."

Originally conceived as a 2D animated feature by Turner Feature Animation and later Warner Bros. Feature Animation, the project experienced numerous delays and shifts in production. Bird's involvement with other major projects, including Pixar's "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille," and live-action films like "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," led to "Ray Gunn" being put on hold.

Skydance Animation revived the project a few years ago, acquiring the rights and finally bringing Bird's original animated vision to the screen. This marks Bird's first original animated feature developed from the ground up since "The Incredibles" over two decades ago, and his first film release since "Incredibles 2" in 2018, making it a significant cinematic event.