The top‑secret event, held at Netflix’s Burbank animation hub, gave invited media a 30‑minute preview of the new movie and then let attendees take part in voice‑over workshops, police‑sketch stations and a Q&A with longtime Bird collaborator and composer Michael Giacchino.
‘Ray Gunn’ is a stylish, PG‑rated neo‑noir that follows private eye Raymond Gunn, voiced by Sam Rockwell, as he navigates a retro‑futuristic city called Metropia, confronting aliens, murder and a multimedia starlet named Venus Nova, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Bird, the Oscar‑winning director of “Ratatouille,” “The Incredibles” and “The Iron Giant,” has been trying to bring the project to life since the 1990s, saying studios passed on it because it isn’t a conventional children’s picture.
The Netflix film marks Bird’s first feature since 2018’s “The Incredibles 2” and his inaugural collaboration with a streaming service, underscoring the studio’s willingness to back a director known for both critical and commercial success.
During the event, Bird warned that the prospect of AI models training on his body of work is “disturbing,” but he welcomed AI as a tool for artists if used responsibly. He also argued that AI could lower production costs, potentially freeing studios from the pressure to recoup two‑and‑a‑half times a film’s budget and allowing more original stories to be told.
A full trailer for ‘Ray Gunn’ is now online, and the movie is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on Dec. 18, giving audiences a chance to see Bird’s long‑gestating vision before it hits the platform.