‘Ray Gunn’: Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell Join Brad Bird’s Animated Sci-Fi Detective Movie
Brad Bird is back, and he is bringing some massive Hollywood talent with him. The acclaimed director is gearing up to release his latest animated feature, Ray Gunn, on Netflix later this year. To bring this unique sci-fi noir to life, Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell have officially signed on to lead the voice cast.
A Noir Sci-Fi Mystery: The Plot of Ray Gunn
So, what is Ray Gunn actually about? The movie blends the gritty, cynical tone of 1940s noir detective films with expansive, futuristic science fiction. Bird himself describes the movie as a perfect mix of The Maltese Falcon and Buck Rogers.
The story takes place in Metropia, a sprawling, gigantic city set in an alternate future. We follow a private investigator named Raymond Gunn. His normal, hardboiled routine gets flipped upside down when he takes a complex new case. Soon, Gunn gets pulled into a highly dangerous web involving aliens, murder, and an enigmatic multimedia starlet named Venus Nova.
Brad Bird’s 30-Year Passion Project
Brad Bird has an incredible track record in the animation industry. He directed beloved, genre-defining classics like The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille. Fans have waited years for his next animated project, but this specific movie has an even longer history.
Amazingly, Ray Gunn is not a recent idea. Bird has been developing this story in his head for more than 30 years. He conceptualized the film long before his major Pixar hits. Now, teaming up with Skydance Animation and Netflix, his long-awaited passion project is finally becoming a reality on the screen.
A Star-Studded Voice Cast
A story this rich requires serious acting heavyweights to deliver the dialogue. Sam Rockwell steps into the lead role, lending his voice to the cynical but sharp private eye, Raymond Gunn. Rockwell has a proven ability to balance natural charm with a gritty, unpredictable edge. This makes him an absolutely perfect fit for a sci-fi detective navigating a corrupt city.
Starring opposite him is Scarlett Johansson, who voices the mysterious multimedia star Venus Nova. Johansson is no stranger to sci-fi epics or acclaimed voice acting roles. However, she clearly views this specific project as something truly special. She recently described her chance to finally work with Bird as a distinct “career milestone.”
Rounding out the newly announced cast is music legend Tom Waits, who brings his signature gravelly voice to a character known as Eyera.
Pushing Animated Sci-Fi Forward
Landing actors like Rockwell and Johansson is a massive win for both Netflix and Skydance Animation. It signals a serious commitment to producing high-quality, ambitious animated features that appeal to broad audiences.
For a long time, major Hollywood studios treated animation strictly as a genre meant exclusively for children. Ray Gunn promises a mature, complex narrative that treats animation as a rich medium for thrilling, cinematic storytelling. The combination of classic noir elements with grand sci-fi world-building gives these actors plenty of deep material to explore.
Keep an Eye Out for Metropia
Ray Gunn is set to hit Netflix later this year. With an incredible cast, a brilliant director, and a 30-year passion project finally coming to life, this is one cinematic mystery you will not want to miss. Make sure to watch your Netflix feed for an official release date and a full trailer in the coming months.
