New Trailer for Brad Bird’s ‘Ray Gunn’ Dives Deeper Into Its Retro-Futuristic World

Brad Bird's long-gestating passion project, "Ray Gunn," is about to arrive in theaters and on streaming platforms, promising a retro-futuristic adventure unlike any other. The animated noir, set in the sprawling, neon-lit city of Metropia, is due to hit select theaters on December 4 before making its Netflix debut on December 18.

The film's unique aesthetic is underscored by the hauntingly catchy "Planet Claire," a B-52's track that played a pivotal role in birthing the story. Bird recalls discovering the song while driving, initially mistaking it for a Henry Mancini cover. However, its sci-fi elements sparked the imaginative leap to a private investigator named Ray Gunn navigating this futuristic world.

Bird collaborated with writer Matthew Robbins to craft the screenplay, with the project initially developed at Turner Feature Animation before taking a detour to his work on "The Iron Giant." Despite Bird's departure, the core narrative remained intact - a human gumshoe (Sam Rockwell) teaming up with an alien (Tom Waits) and a brassy pop star (Scarlett Johansson) to keep tabs on the latter's mysterious employer.

The film's star-studded cast also includes Alan Tudyk, Matt Berry, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Chernus, Kether Donohue, Michelle Rodriguez, and Aasif Mandvi. Early buzz from the BFI London Film Festival was overwhelmingly positive, with critics lauding the movie as a symphony with "many movements and not a single note out of key."

"Ray Gunn" is poised to make its mark with its distinctive visual style and audacious storytelling, set to transport audiences to a world where film noir meets the farthest reaches of science fiction.