Edge Rewrite
everything Source code View original
// HTMLRewriter · presentation

This page was redesigned at the edge.

Cloudflare fetched the original article and streamed it through HTMLRewriter to apply an entirely new visual system without rebuilding the source page.

// request.cf · coarse context

A page that knows where it met you.

Only coarse request metadata is shown. This demo does not display or persist visitor IP addresses.

Country
US
Cloudflare location
CMH
Connection
HTTP/2
Language
Not provided

Ray ID: a40a43ffdbfd4bc2

Jump to content

Ray Gunn

Checked
Page protected with pending changes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ray Gunn
Netflix release poster
Directed byBrad Bird
Screenplay by
Story byBrad Bird
Produced by
Starring
Edited byDarren T. Holmes
Music byMichael Giacchino
Production
company
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • October 10, 2026 (2026-10-10) (BFI)
  • December 4, 2026 (2026-12-04) (United States)
  • December 18, 2026 (2026-12-18) (Netflix)
Running time
119 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$150 million+[2]

Ray Gunn is an upcoming American animated neo-noir science fiction mystery film directed by Brad Bird, who co-wrote it with Matthew Robbins, based on an original story by Bird. Produced by Skydance Animation, the film stars Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Waits, Matt Berry, Bobby Cannavale, Alan Tudyk, and Kathryn Hunter.

Ray Gunn is set to have its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 10, 2026,[3] and is scheduled to be released in select theaters on December 4, and on Netflix on December 18.[4][5][6][7]

Premise

[edit]

The film follows Ray Gunn, the last human private detective, in a futuristic world inhabited by humans and aliens.[6]

Voice cast

[edit]
  • Sam Rockwell as Raymond "Ray" Gunn, a small-time private detective and the titular protagonist
  • Scarlett Johansson as Venus Nova, a famous pop star struggling from a scandal that threatens to destroy her career — and may even cost her life. She is also Ray's love interest
  • Tom Waits as Eyera, Ray's alien colleague
  • Matt Berry as Francis "Slugsy" Xavier, an alien mob boss
  • Bobby Cannavale as Arnold Dom, Venus' husband who hires Ray to spy on her
  • Alan Tudyk as Barry Vogel, a business executive and Venus' manager
  • Michael Chernus as Sam, a studio fixer
  • Patton Oswalt as a hologram[8]
  • Brad Bird as Gunsol and Musker, Xavier's alien henchmen[9]
  • Kathryn Hunter as Vanzine Kaluta, an alien working for Slugsy who harbors unreciprocated feelings for Ray,[8]

John Ratzenberger,[10] and Jamie Costa[11] have been cast in undisclosed roles. Bird also reportedly hired his son's soccer coach, known only as "Buck", to play a weapons-dealer in the film.[12]

Production

[edit]

Background and development

[edit]

Brad Bird wrote the original story for Ray Gunn as a mystery film set in an alternate future featuring "the sprawling, magnificent city of Metropia", and went on to develop the script with Matthew Robbins, who previously co-scribed with Bird on Batteries Not Included (1987).[13] According to Bird, the inspiration for Ray Gunn came from viewing a trailer for the then-upcoming 1989 television film Peter Gunn which led to Bird coming up with a character with a pun name for raygun who would go on film noir inspired adventures in a retrofuturist world inspired by the 1930s and 1940s.[14] He also mentions the B-52s' song "Planet Claire" as an inspiration: "The first time I heard the song ... I thought it was cover version of Henry Mancini's famous Peter Gunn theme song. Then, I realized that it sounded like a 1950s sci-fi movie. So, I thought that's not Peter Gunn, it's Ray Gunn. So, then I figured here's [a] detective's name."[15] Bird stated his love of film noir was a major reason for why he had such passion for the project and cited The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, and Chinatown as influences for both story and style and even consulted with Chinatown writer Robert Towne on how to craft a compelling mystery.[14] Bird had previously attempted a similar noir themed animated project called The Spirit with co-writer Jerry Rees for producer Gary Kurtz in the early 80s which would've been adapted from the comic strip character of the same name by Will Eisner, but a lack of financier confidence saw the project abandoned.[16] Originally, Ray Gunn was intended to be produced by Turner Feature Animation in the 1990s, but it was shelved when Bird went on to direct The Iron Giant (1999) at Warner Bros. Feature Animation instead following Turner Broadcasting System's merger with Time Warner in 1996.[17] Despite this, Bird did not forget about his Ray Gunn project, stating that he negotiated for the rights to the material and telling Warner Bros. that, "Either let's make it or let me try to make it somewhere else."[5]

In 2021, Bird signed a deal with Skydance Animation to direct Ray Gunn.[5] The project saw Bird re-team not only with John Lasseter, under whose leadership at Pixar he wrote and directed The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), and Incredibles 2 (2018),[18] but also with David Ellison and Dana Goldberg, under whose leadership at Skydance Media he directed Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011);[5] all four would serve as producers on the film.[18] Bird also reassembled frequent collaborators including music composer Michael Giacchino, character designers Teddy Newton and Tony Fucile, editor Darren T. Holmes, and storyboard artist Jeffrey Lynch for the film.[5] In February 2022, it was officially announced that Bird would revive the project after it became dormant for decades.[18] That July, Bird described Ray Gunn as a more adult project in the noir genre, "sort of a detective film in an alternate future" that follows protagonist Raymond Gunn. He stated, "If you mashed up The Maltese Falcon with Buck Rogers, it might be something like that. But hopefully with a bit more action and funnier."[5] Bird stated that because of his desire to play the film towards a slightly older audience, Pixar was never considered as a potential candidate for the film as he felt that it would not fit the studio's sensibilities.[14] In October 2023, it was reported that the film would be computer-animated instead of hand-drawn as originally conceived, and that the budget had been trimmed,[19] which would later be revealed to be $150+ million.[2] Following the announcement of Pixar's Incredibles 3 (2028) in August 2024, TheWrap reported that Ray Gunn was still in development, and that it would be released by Netflix in 2026.[20] His commitment to the project would cause Bird to step away from directing his screenplay for Incredibles 3, choosing Peter Sohn to replace him as director.[21] Skydance Animation Madrid's VP of Finance and Operations, Carolina Borreguero Sanz, confirmed in October 2025 that Ray Gunn would release after the studio's third film, Swapped, both in 2026.[6] In April 2026, Lisa Beroud was revealed to be another producer on the film.[22]

Animation and voice recording

[edit]

Animation for the film was provided by Skydance Animation Madrid and Cinesite[23] under the supervision of Skydance. In September 2025, John Ratzenberger, who previously voiced characters in each of Bird's Pixar films (the Underminer in the Incredibles films and Mustafa the waiter in Ratatouille),[24] revealed during an appearance at FanX that he had begun voice recording for the film.[10] In April 2026, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Waits were confirmed to have joined the cast.[25][22] Waits was the first person cast in the film and suggested Rockwell for the titular voice role during his first recording session.[26] Following a screening of the film's first seven minutes at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, TheWrap reported that Patton Oswalt, who voiced the lead character Remy the rat in Ratatouille,[27] voices a hologram in the film.[8] In September 2026, Bobby Cannavale, Matt Berry, Alan Tudyk, Michael Chernus, and Bird himself were revealed as a part of the voice cast.[26]

Music

[edit]

On July 27, 2022, Michael Giacchino, who had composed the music for each of Bird's films since The Incredibles, was announced to compose the film's musical score.[28]

Songwriter Kimbra contributed three songs for the film, including "Too Much to Ask" and "Innocent", all of which are performed by Scarlett Johansson. Netflix will campaign "Too Much to Ask" for an Academy Award for Best Original Song nomination.[29]

Release

[edit]

Ray Gunn is set to have its world premiere at the 70th BFI London Film Festival on October 10, 2026,[3] and is scheduled to be released on Netflix on December 18.[4][6] It will also screen at the 15th Montclair Film Festival as the animation centerpiece on October 17.[30]

It was originally set to be released by Apple TV+.[18] Two clips of the film, including the film's first seven minutes, were previewed at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 24.[8][31] For its Texas premiere, it was programmed at the Austin Film Festival.[32]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Ray Gunn [PG]". British Columbia Film Classification Office (Consumer Protection BC). September 21, 2026. Retrieved September 21, 2026.
  2. 1 2 Masters, Kim; Weprin, Alex (June 9, 2024). "Why Is Shari Redstone so Upset?". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 9, 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Szalai, Georg (September 2, 2026). "Brad Bird's 'Ray Gunn', Travis Knight's 'Wildwood' Among BFI London Film Fest World Premieres". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 2, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Goodfellow, Melanie (June 24, 2026). "Netflix Sets Release Date For Brad Bird's 'Ray Gunn'; Unveils New Images For Sam Rockwell & Scarlett Johansson-Voiced Protagonists – Annecy". Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Keegan, Rebecca; Giardina, Carolyn (July 27, 2022). "John Lasseter's Second Act". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Szalai, Georg (October 2, 2025). "Netflix's 'Pookoo' Changes Title to 'Swapped' and Other Updates From Skydance Animation Madrid". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  7. ↑ Raup, Jordan (September 23, 2026). "First Trailer for Brad Bird's Ray Gunn Enters a Sci-Fi Noir World". The Film Stage. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Taylor, Drew (June 24, 2026). "We've Seen the First Footage From Brad Bird's Netflix Movie 'Ray Gunn'". TheWrap. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  9. ↑ Jones, Tamera; Weintraub, Steve (June 25, 2026). "Netflix's Upcoming Sci-Fi Detective Movie From Brad Bird Took 30 Years to Make [Exclusive]". Collider. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  10. 1 2 Kelley, Aidan (September 27, 2025). "Incredibles Creator's Sci-Fi Detective Movie Finally Gets an Encouraging Update After 3 Years of Silence". Collider. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Post from Jamie Costa". YouTube. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Brad Bird's 'Ray Gunn': Everything We Learned About Netflix's Retro-Futuristic Noir at Annecy". www.whats-on-netflix.com. June 24, 2026. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  13. ↑ Taylor, Drew (February 17, 2022). "Animated Detective Noir 'Ray Gunn' From Brad Bird Finally in the Works at Skydance". TheWrap. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  14. 1 2 3 Chapman, Wilson (June 25, 2026). "Brad Bird Explains Why He Didn't Pitch 'Ray Gunn' to Pixar". IndieWire. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Exclusive: How 'Ray Gunn' Director Brad Bird Blended the Past and the Future in His Much-Anticipated Netflix Noir". animationmagazine.net. June 25, 2026. Archived from the original on June 26, 2026. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  16. ↑ "'The Spirit' movie that could have been". Los Angeles Times. December 12, 2008. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  17. ↑ "The Making of The Iron Giant". Warner Bros. Archived from the original on March 21, 2006. Retrieved January 14, 2008.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Fleming Jr, Mike (February 17, 2022). "Skydance Animation Brings The Incredibles Brad Bird Into Fold To Direct His Animated Film Creation Ray Gunn". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022.
  19. ↑ Desowitz, Bill (October 18, 2023). "Why Netflix Is a Better Streaming Fit for Skydance Animation Than Apple". IndieWire. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  20. ↑ Taylor, Drew (August 10, 2024). "Incredibles 3 in the Works at Pixar". TheWrap. Archived from the original on August 10, 2024. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  21. ↑ Verhoven, Beatrice (June 10, 2025). "'Incredibles 3' Finds Its Director (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
  22. 1 2 Grobar, Matt (April 9, 2026). "Brad Bird's 'Ray Gunn' Adds Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson & Tom Waits To Voice Cast – First Look". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  23. ↑ Amidi, Amid (April 11, 2025). "Cinesite Is Hiring For Brad Bird's 'Ray Gunn', Which Is Now In Production". Cartoon Brew. Cartoon Brew. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  24. ↑ Wiese, Jason (March 10, 2020). "Every Character John Ratzenberger Has Played In A Pixar Movie, Including Onward". Cinema Blend. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  25. ↑ Lee, Stephan (April 9, 2026). "Set Your Sights on Brad Bird's Animated Detective Noir Ray Gunn". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  26. 1 2 Exclusive: Inside Brad Bird’s 30-Year Quest to Hard-boil the Future in Ray Gunn
  27. ↑ O'Rourke, Ryan; Weintraub, Steven (June 25, 2026). "Pixar Legend Confirms 'Ratatouille 2' Isn't Happening, but There's a Catch [Exclusive]". Collider. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  28. ↑ "Michael Giacchino to Score Brad Bird's Ray Gunn". Film Music Reporter. July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  29. ↑ Tangcay, Jazz (September 22, 2026). "Netflix Submits Original Song From 'Ray Gunn' for Oscars, Written by Kimbra and Performed by Scarlett Johansson (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  30. ↑ McLachlan, Megan (September 10, 2026). "2026 Montclair Film Festival Announces Opening, Closing, & Centerpiece Films". The Contending. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
  31. ↑ Taylor, Drew (May 7, 2026). "Netflix's Robust Annecy Lineup Includes Brad Bird's 'Ray Gunn', 'Ghostbusters' and 'Blue Eye Samurai' Season 2". TheWrap. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  32. ↑ Whittaker, Richard (August 26, 2026). "Austin Film Festival Brings Brad Bird and His Ray Gunn to Austin". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ray_Gunn&oldid=1376619022"