Today in “Obvious Things”: Brad Bird knows animation. The Iron Giant director has Academy Awards for both The Incredibles and Ratatouille. With that kind of resume, you might think he can get anyone he wants to work on his movies. That is another “Obvious Thing.” And in case it wasn’t, Netflix has just confirmed it. The streamer announced the cast of his next film, Ray Gunn, and it’s loaded. When it releases later this year, it will star Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Waits. But just as impressive as that cast are the first images from the stylish animation that will blend genres.
The film, produced by Skydance Animation, will see Rockwell voicing the titular Raymond Gunn. Scarlett Johansson will play Venus Nova. And Tom Waits is Eyera. These first-look Ray Gunn images, (and even the film’s title) do a good job of capturing the premise. Ray Gunn is retro sci-fi noir. Here’s the official synopsis from Netflix:
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.
Bird, who also co-wrote the film with Matthew Robbins, says the idea for this film is many years in the making. “Ray Gunn has been in my mind for over 30 years,” he said in a press release. “The film is a blend of sci-fi and classic detective movies from the ’40s…it’s Maltese Falcon meets Buck Rogers. I’ve been a fan of both of those sort of genres, and blending them together seemed fun, and a chance to play with a lot of very cinematic elements, and extreme characters.”
Johansson also shared what it was like getting to work with such a legendary director. “Having the opportunity to collaborate with Brad Bird is a career milestone for me; I have loved his work my entire life,” she said in a statement. “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.”
See? He really can get anyone he wants.
Ray Gunn will release in 2026.