Netflix has released the Ray Gunn trailer, confirming Brad Bird’s animated sci-fi noir will open in select cinemas and limited 70mm engagements on 4 December 2026 before arriving on Netflix on 18 December. The film is Bird’s first feature as director since Incredibles 2 in 2018.
Ray Gunn trailer sets up a retro-futuristic detective story
The trailer introduces Raymond Gunn, a private eye voiced by Sam Rockwell, working in Metropia — a gigantic city imagined as an alternate future seen from 1939. Humans and aliens live alongside flying cars, towering Art Deco buildings and the sort of murder case that makes automated detective work look slightly underpowered.
Gunn is drawn into a case involving Venus Nova, a multimedia star voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Tom Waits voices Eye-Ra, Gunn’s alien partner, while the wider cast includes Alan Tudyk, Matt Berry, Bobby Cannavale, Michelle Rodriguez and Patton Oswalt, according to Netflix’s official trailer coverage.
The film has been in Bird’s thoughts for more than 30 years. In the Netflix Tudum first look, Bird described its pitch this way:
“The Maltese Falcon meets Buck Rogers.”
Brad Bird, via Netflix Tudum
That means classic detective films combined with science-fiction adventure, rather than treating animation as a genre with a children-only sign on the door.
When does Ray Gunn release?
The Ray Gunn trailer confirms a two-stage release. The film will play in select cinemas and limited 70mm screenings from 4 December 2026, then stream on Netflix from 18 December. The theatrical footprint is limited, and no UAE cinema dates have been announced in the sources reviewed for this draft.
That release plan was also reported by IGN, which identifies the film as Bird’s first directorial feature since Incredibles 2. Tbreak previously covered Brad Bird’s earlier Ray Gunn footage and its sci-fi noir premise.
Bird’s last feature was eight years ago, but the project itself has taken much longer to reach the screen. The trailer now gives the long-running idea a fixed theatrical date, a streaming date and several flying cars to justify the wait.
Will Ray Gunn be available on Netflix in the UAE?
Netflix has announced a global streaming date of 18 December 2026, but the inspected sources do not confirm UAE-specific availability. Check the Netflix UAE app or local title page closer to release.
Is Ray Gunn connected to The Incredibles?
No. Ray Gunn is a separate original animated film, although Brad Bird directed both it and The Incredibles.
Who is Ray Gunn aimed at?
The film combines animated action with classic detective noir, so its appeal is broader than a conventional children’s animation.
