Ray Gunn trailer reveals Brad Bird’s retro-futurist detective world
A new trailer for Brad Bird’s animated film Ray Gunn takes viewers into Metropia, a retro-futuristic city of flying cars, towering buildings and a detective story beneath its polished surface. Sam Rockwell voices Raymond Gunn, while Scarlett Johansson voices Venus Nova, a superstar whose circle draws the investigator into a wider mystery. Netflix has set a limited theatrical opening for 4 December and a streaming release for 18 December.
The premise
Ray is an old-fashioned private detective in a city where small “pry bots” now handle much of the routine legwork. His alien partner, Eye-Ra, is voiced by Tom Waits. Venus’s arrival pulls the pair between Metropia’s glamorous heights and its darker underworld. The trailer presents that contrast through Art Deco-inspired design and science-fiction technology.
Bird has described the project as a combination of hardboiled detective noir and space-age adventure. He conceived the idea early in his career, and the finished film gives him a chance to work with a tone aimed beyond the usual expectations for a large animated feature. The promotional material suggests mystery and adult noir atmosphere, though a trailer is only a selective preview of the full story.
Why viewers are paying attention
Bird directed The Incredibles and Ratatouille, films known for sharply defined worlds and strong visual storytelling. Ray Gunn’s premise gives animation a different canvas: a bright imagined future with corruption and danger below the surface. The star voices and the director’s long history with the idea make the release a notable entertainment event this December.
Release details
The film is scheduled for select cinemas and limited 70mm screenings from 4 December, followed by Netflix on 18 December. Availability can vary by market and theatre, so viewers interested in the large-format run should check local listings closer to release. The dates are announced plans, not a review or a judgment of the film.
The trailer answers what the film looks and sounds like, but leaves the central mystery unresolved. Its most useful signal is the creative direction: Bird is using a medium often associated with family films for a stylised detective story in a city shared by humans and aliens.
