More than three decades after Brad Bird first imagined Ray Gunn, the filmmaker finally got to watch a Los Angeles audience experience the finished movie.

Following an advance screening of the Netflix and Skydance Animation feature at AMC Burbank 16, Bird joined Variety’s Jazz Tangcay for a Q&A about the film’s long journey to the screen, the creation of its retrofuturistic world and his desire to push animation beyond its traditional boundaries.

A Movie More Than 30 Years in the Making

The idea for Ray Gunn dates back to before Bird directed The Iron Giant, The Incredibles or Ratatouille. Its unusual origin came from hearing the B-52’s “Planet Claire” and initially mistaking its opening for a new version of Henry Mancini’s Peter Gunn theme. The combination of detective music and an otherworldly sound eventually sparked the name — and idea — for Ray Gunn.

The project didn't immediately find a home. After earlier versions failed to move forward at Turner and Warner Bros., Bird put it aside and assumed it might never happen. Years later, following his success with other films, he was able to revisit the idea when the opportunity arose.

Building the World of Metropia

Set in Metropia, the film imagines the future through the perspective of the 1930s and ’40s, drawing inspiration from the architecture and industrial design of the era. Rather than creating another dystopian future, Bird wanted to build something closer to a utopia — while still allowing corruption, crime and human flaws to exist beneath its beautiful exterior.

That world becomes the setting for private investigator Raymond Gunn (Sam Rockwell), who is drawn into a mystery involving aliens, murder and multimedia superstar Venus Nova (Scarlett Johansson). Bird cited classic noir and detective films including The Big Sleep, Out of the Past, L.A. Confidential, Blade Runner and The Killing among the project's influences.

From Ray Liotta to Sam Rockwell

The movie's decades-long development also meant its potential cast changed dramatically over time. Bird revealed that he once envisioned Ray Liotta as Raymond Gunn and Harry Dean Stanton as Eye-Ra, the detective's alien partner. Those roles ultimately went to Rockwell and Tom Waits, with Bird noting that strong voice performances helped set a high bar for the animators bringing the characters to life.

Johansson also brought an unexpected musical element to the film. Bird said he initially pursued her for her acting and was pleasantly surprised by her abilities as a singer. She collaborated with New Zealand singer-songwriter Kimbra, who wrote and produced original songs for the film.

Pushing Animation Beyond the Usual Wheelhouse

Despite Bird’s longtime relationship with Pixar, Ray Gunn was never pitched to the studio. Bird explained that he wanted the movie to reach a somewhat older audience and exist outside what he called the “usual animation wheelhouse.” Skydance Animation and Netflix ultimately backed that vision, something Bird praised given the risks involved in making a large-scale animated film that doesn't fit the conventional mold.

That approach reflects Bird's broader philosophy about animation. Rather than trying to anticipate what every demographic might want years in advance, he said he begins with a much simpler question: what kind of movie would he want to see?

Bird also pushed back against animation that talks down to younger audiences, recalling that as a child he enjoyed reaching toward movies he didn't completely understand.

“I am really hoping that every year animation is seen a little more as just film,” Bird told the audience. “It’s not a weird offshoot medium. It’s film. It’s just a different way to do film.”

After more than 30 years with Ray Gunn, Bird said his ultimate hope is that audiences become invested in its characters and mystery without anticipating where the story will take them next.

Ray Gunn opens in select theaters December 4 before arriving on Netflix December 18.