Fans of animation are no strangers to Brad Bird. He brought to life Vin Diesel’s super-sized robot in The Iron Giant, gave us one of the best superhero films of the 2000s with The Incredibles, and introduced audiences to the internet’s favourite chef Remy in Ratatouille. But his latest project actually dates back to before all of those films, having been gestating in the director’s mind for more than 30 years.
The project in question is Ray Gunn, a blend of 1940s noir detective films and sci-fi that has just revealed its first images along with its voice cast. Check out the first shots from the film below;
Leading the lineup is Oscar-winner (and all-round great dancer) Sam Rockwell, voicing the titular private eye Raymond Gunn. He is joined by Scarlett Johansson as multimedia star Venus Nova, with Johansson describing working with Bird as a “career milestone”. Also among the cast is Tom Waits, who will voice a character called Eyera.
Alongside the cast announcement comes a first look at the film itself. Set in Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future, Ray Gunn follows private eye Raymond Gunn as he is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and the mysterious multimeida star Venus Nova. Based on these first images, the film looks like it could be a blast, bringing something of a Knives Out energy to the world of sci-fi. Or, as Bird himself describes the film to Tudum, “It’s The Maltese Falcon meets Buck Rogers.”
Bird has spoken about Ray Gunn numerous times over the years, and now the long-gestating passion project will finally hit screens later this year thanks to Skydance Animation and Netflix. Judging by this first look, it might just be a case well worth signing onto. Watch this space!
