Netflix has unveiled the first details of Ray Gunn, its next adult animation bet. Directed by Brad Bird, a two-time Oscar winner, the film combines science fiction and detective genre in a futuristic metropolis seen from 1939. The voice cast includes Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Waits. With a planned release for 2026, the project seeks to expand the narrative boundaries of animation. 🎬
A 30-year project and the evolution of animation as a medium 🕰️
Brad Bird has been developing Ray Gunn for over three decades, a period in which digital animation has evolved radically. Produced by Skydance Animation, the film represents a technical opportunity to mix vintage aesthetics and futuristic designs. Bird has stated that his goal is to use the animated medium to tell a complex adult story, moving away from stereotypes, in a line similar to the mix of The Maltese Falcon with Buck Rogers that he proposes.
A hard-boiled detective in a world of drawings? It's about time 🥃
Finally, an animated private detective who will probably have more wrinkles in the trench coat than corny dialogues. In a landscape where animation sometimes seems only for talking about feelings or singing, Brad Bird throwing aliens and murders into the same cocktail shaker is refreshing. It was just missing Tom Waits himself voicing a character named Eyera to confirm that this is not about making everyone happy. It promises to be a noir where the rain will be pixelated and the whiskey, surely, too.