Ray Gunn, Brad Bird’s long-gestating animated sci-fi noir, got its first trailer from Netflix on September 23, 2026, confirming the film opens in limited 70mm theaters December 4 before streaming December 18. Sam Rockwell voices private eye Raymond Gunn, alongside Scarlett Johansson, Tom Waits and Matt Berry.
Netflix and Skydance Animation released the footage Wednesday morning, with Deadline and Variety among the first outlets to confirm the theatrical add. It is the director’s first feature since Incredibles 2 in 2018, and the project he has wanted to make since before he directed The Iron Giant.
What Ray Gunn Is About
The film is set in Metropia, a sprawling alternate-future city viewed through a 1939 pulp lens. Private eye Raymond Gunn (Rockwell) gets pulled into a case involving a murder and a scandal-plagued multimedia star named Venus Nova (Johansson), working alongside his alien colleague Eyera (Waits). Matt Berry voices Francis “Slugsy” Xavier, a mob boss Bird has described as massive and spongelike.
A 30-Year Wait to Get Made
Bird has been trying to make Ray Gunn since before The Iron Giant (1999) — Turner Feature Animation and Warner Bros. both passed on it decades ago as too risky and too adult for the format. “I haven’t been working on it for 30 years — I’ve been waiting for it for 30 years,” Bird told press around the trailer’s release. “There’s a difference. I would have happily made it a long time ago, but you have to have someone pay for it.”
That it finally got made is itself part of the story: a 70mm theatrical run is exceptionally rare for an animated film, and Netflix and Skydance greenlighting one signals real confidence in how the film looks on a big screen before it lands on the service two weeks later.
How Ray Gunn Stacks Up Against Bird’s Other Films
| Film | Year | Studio | Rating/tone |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Iron Giant | 1999 | Warner Bros. | PG, family sci-fi |
| The Incredibles | 2004 | Pixar | PG, family action |
| Ratatouille | 2007 | Pixar | G, family comedy |
| Incredibles 2 | 2018 | Pixar | PG, family action |
| Ray Gunn | 2026 | Skydance / Netflix | Adult noir mystery, Bird’s first R-leaning tone |
For more on Johansson’s other work as Black Widow, see our Avengers: Endgame guide, and if genre animation on Netflix is your thing, check out our latest Netflix binge picks.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Ray Gunn come out?
Ray Gunn opens in a limited 70mm theatrical release on December 4, 2026, then streams on Netflix starting December 18, 2026.
Who voices Ray Gunn?
Sam Rockwell voices private eye Raymond Gunn. Scarlett Johansson voices Venus Nova, Tom Waits voices Eyera, and Matt Berry voices the villain Francis “Slugsy” Xavier.
Who directed Ray Gunn?
Brad Bird, director of The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille. It’s his first feature since Incredibles 2 in 2018.
What is Ray Gunn about?
A private eye in the alternate-future city of Metropia investigates a murder tied to a scandal-hit pop star, in a noir mystery pitched as 1939 pulp fiction with aliens.
Is Ray Gunn a Pixar movie?
No. It’s produced by Skydance Animation for Netflix, not Pixar, though Bird made his name at Pixar with The Incredibles and Ratatouille.
Sources
- Deadline — Ray Gunn trailer and theatrical release
- Variety — Ray Gunn trailer, cast
- Netflix Tudum — Ray Gunn first look
