Release and premiere schedule for Brad Bird’s ‘Ray Gunn’

The animated sci-fi noir film ‘Ray Gunn’, directed by Brad Bird, is scheduled for a global release on Netflix on December 18, 2026. Produced by Skydance Animation, the project marks Bird’s return to animation and follows a concept originally developed in 1996.

Before its streaming debut, the film will have a world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 10, 2026. The story is set in Metropia, a retro-futuristic metropolis where humans and aliens coexist, following private detective Raymond Gunn as he investigates a murder involving multimedia superstar Venus Nova.

The production features a high-profile voice cast including Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Waits. Despite the shift from the original 2D concept to 3D animation with support from Cinesite, Bird has specified that the film utilizes traditional frame-by-frame animation rather than motion capture. The estimated budget for the project exceeds $150 million.

Earlier announcements indicated that the Austin Film Festival would host the Texas premiere of the film, as Bird was named a recipient of the festival’s 2026 Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award.