Brad Bird's Ray Gunn Is Netflix's Most Ambitious Animated Film Yet — Here's Everything We Know

Netflix just dropped one of the biggest animation announcements of the year, and if you're a fan of Brad Bird's filmography, you're going to want to pay attention. Ray Gunn, the legendary director's first film in eight years, is officially coming to Netflix on December 18, 2026 — and it's shaping up to be a genre-bending masterpiece.

A Neo-Noir Sci-Fi Mystery Unlike Anything You've Seen

Set in the towering metropolis of Metropia, Ray Gunn takes place in an alternate future as imagined from 1939 — think Buck Rogers meets The Maltese Falcon. The story follows private investigator Raymond Gunn as he gets pulled into a dangerous case involving aliens, murder, and a mysterious multimedia star named Venus Nova.

Bird himself described the concept perfectly: "People don't call futuristic weapons Ray Guns anymore. That's an older term. So that automatically made me think — if you're going to do a future detective movie, wouldn't it be cool if it kind of looked like what we associate with classic detective movies?"

The result is a retrofuturist world filled with Art Deco architecture, flying cars, and shadowy noir aesthetics — all brought to life through stunning hand-crafted animation. Bird confirmed the film is fully animated, with no motion capture: "It doesn't look like live action. It feels like live action, but it doesn't look like it. It's a little bit like dance. The medium of animation is amazing."

An Incredible Voice Cast Led by Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson

The voice cast alone is worth the hype. Sam Rockwell (Iron Man 2, Vice) leads as Raymond Gunn, while Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow, Jurassic World Rebirth) voices Venus Nova, the pop star at the center of the mystery.

But it gets better. Tom Waits — yes, the legendary musician and actor — voices Eyera, a one-eyed alien and Ray's trusted colleague. The supporting cast also includes John Ratzenberger (Toy Story, Cheers) and Jamie Costa.

Behind the camera, Bird co-wrote the screenplay with Matthew Robbins (who collaborated with Guillermo del Toro on Pinocchio and Crimson Peak). And the score? None other than Michael Giacchino, Bird's longtime collaborator who has scored five of his six films.

Why This Matters for Netflix and Animation

Ray Gunn arrives at a pivotal moment. Netflix has been aggressively expanding its animation slate, and this film — produced by Skydance Animation under John Lasseter, David Ellison, and Dana Goldberg — represents the streamer's most prestige animated project to date.

The December 18 release date puts it in direct competition with Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three, both hitting theaters the same day. That's a bold move, but Netflix clearly believes in Bird's vision — and honestly, with a filmography that includes The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and Incredibles 2, it's hard to doubt him.

This is also notable as Johansson's final release of 2026 before she joins two massive franchises in 2027: Mike Flanagan's The Exorcist and Matt Reeves' The Batman Part II.

Mark your calendars for December 18. If Brad Bird's track record is anything to go by, Ray Gunn could be the animated film that defines the holiday season — and possibly the one that finally gets Netflix into the Oscar conversation for Best Animated Feature.