Ray Gunn, a Murder Investigation Beginning in a Future City from 1939

Ray Gunn is Brad Bird’s animated sci-fi noir set in Metropia, an alternate future imagined through a 1939 lens. Private detective Raymond Gunn is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder, and multim

Ray Gunn is an animated science-fiction noir film directed by Brad Bird. The story is set in Metropia, a vast city in an alternate future as imagined in 1939, where humans and aliens live together and flying cars streak across the sky. Here, private detective Raymond Gunn is drawn into an investigation involving a murder, aliens, and Venus Nova, a famous multimedia star. The film will be released worldwide on Netflix on December 18, 2026.

Metropia's Last Way

Raymond Gunn is voiced by Sam Rockwell. According to the official introduction, even in an era when automated miniature investigative robots handle much of a detective's fieldwork, Gunn and his alien partner I-Ra roam the streets themselves in pursuit of clues. Played by Tom Waits, I-Ra is a one-eyed alien who serves as a companion connecting classic detective work with the technological environment of a futuristic megacity.

Between the Star and the Case

Voiced by Scarlett Johansson, Venus Nova is a major star in Metropia and a central figure in the case. Gunn follows the people around Nova, moving between the city's glamorous upper levels and its dark underbelly. By combining the investigative structure of a classic detective story with a science-fiction adventure, the setting makes the appearance of the future city and the tension of the murder investigation converge within the same story.

Netflix Release After Theatrical Screenings

Netflix has announced select theatrical screenings and limited 70mm showings beginning December 4, ahead of the worldwide streaming release on December 18. Brad Bird has described the film as a project he had envisioned since early in his career, while the voice performances of Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Waits drive the central dynamic of detective, star, and alien partner.