Netflix has unveiled the voice cast and first look at their sci-fi detective movie Ray Gunn, the next animated film from The Incredibles and Ratatouille director Brad Bird.
“In Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, private eye Raymond Gunn is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova,” according to the film’s official logline.
Sam Rockwell voices Raymond Gunn while Scarlett Johansson voices Venus Nova. The duo have previously starred together in Iron Man 2 and Jojo Rabbit. Gravelly voiced singer-actor Tom Waits voices the role of Eyera.
Rockwell and Johansson are no strangers to voicing animated roles. Oscar winner Rockwell has lent his voice to The Bad Guys (and its sequel), Trolls World Tour, IF, The One and Only Ivan, and G-Force.
Johansson’s animation credits include Sing, Sing 2, Transformers One, Isle of Dogs, and The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie. She’s also performed voice roles in The Jungle Book and Her.
Johansson said in a statement: “Having the opportunity to collaborate with Brad Bird is a career milestone for me; I have loved his work my entire life. This project is so uniquely special because it is a total realization of where Brad is currently on his artistic journey. I can’t wait for audiences to see this extraordinary animation that looks like nothing else out there.”
Ray Gunn, which Bird describes as “Maltese Falcon meets Buck Rogers,” is based on an original story by Bird and a screenplay by Bird and Matthew Robbins.
“Ray Gunn has been in my mind for over 30 years. The film is a blend of sci-fi and classic detective movies from the ’40s,” Bird said. “It’s Maltese Falcon meets Buck Rogers. I’ve been a fan of both of those sort of genres, and blending them together seemed fun, and a chance to play with a lot of very cinematic elements, and extreme characters.”
The two-time Oscar winner added: “There’s a big chunk of people who don’t watch animation. That’s a group I’m anxious to persuade because it’s an amazing art form that is way too limited in people’s minds. Animation as a medium is too interesting to limit what kind of stories can be told.”
Ray Gunn is produced by John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Lisa Beroud, David Ellison and Dana Goldberg producing for Skydance Animation.
Netflix will release Ray Gunn later this year.
