Netflix has set a December 18, 2026 release date for Ray Gunn, the new animated sci-fi film from director Brad Bird. The movie features Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, and Tom Waits in the voice cast. The announcement came during the platform’s Next on Netflix session at the Annecy International Film Festival on Wednesday.
The film marks Johansson’s return to the sci-fi genre after her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Lucy, Jurassic World Rebirth, Her, and Under the Skin. This will be her final release of 2026 before she joins two major franchises in 2027 with Mike Flanagan’s The Exorcist and Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II.
Ray Gunn Brings Brad Bird’s Long-Gestating Vision to Life
Ray Gunn has been a passion project for Bird for many years. The director, known for The Incredibles and The Iron Giant, first conceived the idea before making those films. The movie is set in Metropia, a massive city in an alternate future as seen from 1939. The world features flying cars, jetpacks, and aliens from countless galaxies living among humans.
The story follows private eye Raymond Gunn, voiced by Sam Rockwell. He gets pulled into a case involving aliens, murder, and a multimedia star named Venus Nova, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Tom Waits voices Eyera, a one-eyed alien who serves as Gunn’s sidekick. The screenplay comes from Bird and Matthew Robbins, based on an original story by Bird.
During the Annecy presentation, Netflix screened the first seven minutes of the film along with an additional clip. The footage showed the art deco style of Metropia, with music from composer Michael Giacchino, a frequent Bird collaborator.
Star-Studded Voice Cast Leads the Animated Noir
The voice cast brings together three well-known actors. Sam Rockwell takes on the title role of Raymond Gunn, a private detective navigating the dangerous streets of Metropia. Scarlett Johansson plays Venus Nova, a famous pop star caught in a scandal that could end her career and her life. Tom Waits voices Eyera, the alien sidekick who helps Gunn on his investigation.
The film is a co-production between Netflix and Skydance Animation. Producers include John Lasseter, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Lisa Beroud. Netflix has positioned the film as a potential awards contender, with its December release date putting it in the holiday corridor.
Additional casting announcements are expected in the near future. The movie joins Netflix’s growing animation slate, which also includes the upcoming Steps and the Cannes acquisition In Waves.
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December Release Puts Ray Gunn in Holiday Spotlight
The December 18 release date places Ray Gunn in the middle of the busy Christmas movie season. This timing historically brings strong viewership numbers for streaming platforms. The late-year release also gives the film a chance to compete for awards attention, as movies released later in the year often stay fresh in voters’ minds.
Netflix revealed new images of the characters voiced by Rockwell and Johansson at the Annecy festival. The streamer is positioning the film as a key part of its 2026 holiday lineup. The movie will debut globally on Netflix, making it available to subscribers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and other markets worldwide.
Bird’s vision for the film includes a unique blend of noir detective story and sci-fi elements. In an early version of the screenplay, Bird wrote that he wanted to create a detective story set in the future, but with that future seen from the perspective of the 1930s, when detective stories were at their peak.
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