Brad Bird’s Long-Delayed Ray Gunn Heads to Netflix
Brad Bird’s Long-Delayed Ray Gunn Heads to Netflix
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Key Points
1
In Metropia, Raymond Gunn is described as the last human private detective because machines have largely taken over detective work.
2
Bird first imagined Ray Gunn as his own take on film noir roughly three decades ago and formally signed a deal with Skydance Animation in 2022.
3
The film’s opening sequence introduces Metropia before its main characters, sweeping through canyons formed by mile-high buildings while showing elevated trains, flying cars and everyday jetpack rentals.
4
In a 1996 script note, Bird wrote that he could not adequately capture Metropia on the page, describing its cities as “gargantuan jewels that stretch into the heavens.”
5
Bird said investors and studio executives viewed Ray Gunn as a “strange outlier film,” while he considered it mainstream entertainment suited to a popcorn-and-a-drink audience.
Brad Bird's Ray Gunn, a decades-old passion project, finally arrives on Netflix on December 18 after spending roughly 30 years in development hell. The animated sci-fi noir follows private detective Raymond Gunn, voiced by Sam Rockwell, through Metropia, a retro-futuristic city where humans and aliens live alongside flying cars and jetpacks. Deadline reports the film will have a limited theatrical release on December 4 before its streaming debut.
The film, which Movie Web describes as "Blade Runner Meets The Big Lebowski," marks Bird's first feature since Incredibles 2. Bird co-wrote and directed with Matthew Robbins, and composer Michael Giacchino created a classic-noir-inspired score. Gunn investigates a murder involving multimedia star Venus Nova, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, while partnered with alien Eyera, voiced by Tom Waits.
A Script Rejected for Being Too Adult and Risky
Bird conceived Ray Gunn roughly 30 years ago as his directorial debut. Gold Derby reports that Turner Feature Animation and Warner Bros. rejected the project for being too risky and adult-oriented. Instead of giving up on animation, Bird directed The Iron Giant in 1999, then went on to create The Incredibles franchise. He finally signed a deal with Skydance Animation in 2022 to bring his old vision to life.
Metropia as a Character Unto Itself
The film opens by introducing Metropia before any characters appear. The camera sweeps through canyons formed by mile-high buildings, showing elevated trains, flying cars, and everyday jetpack rentals. In a 1996 script note, Bird wrote that he could not capture the city adequately on the page, describing its metropolis as "gargantuan jewels that stretch into the heavens." Metropia functions as a central character throughout the film.
Raymond Gunn is portrayed as the last human private detective because machines have largely taken over detective work. This setup grounds the noir mystery in a future where artificial intelligence has displaced human investigators, forcing Gunn to solve crimes in a world increasingly run by technology.
A "Strange Outlier" That Bird Sees as Mainstream
Bird said investors and studio executives viewed Ray Gunn as a "strange outlier film" throughout its long development. However, Bird considered it mainstream entertainment suited to a popcorn-and-a-drink audience. The film blends classic noir intrigue and romance with futuristic action, including blasters, monsters, and high-speed chases. The story is specifically intended for older audiences, differentiating it from Bird's family-focused superhero films.
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