UPDATE: I’m told Brad Bird will not be directing “The Incredibles 3.” He’s just producing the Pixar sequel. A simple reason for this, Bird is too busy with “Ray Gunn.”
EARLIER: Yes, Brad Bird was just announced as directing “The Incredibles 3” for Pixar, and that left me wondering about another Bird project, one that sounds way more ambitious and fascinating than ‘Incredibles 3.’
I’ve been keeping an eye out on Bird’s “Ray Gunn” a sci-fi noir which was originally supposed to be a hand-drawn animated film, originally revived by Skydance Animation, headed by Bird’s longtime friend John Lassetter. Since Skydance now has a multi-year feature deal with Netflix, its fate was in limbo.
Now we have the always reliable Drew Taylor (via The Wrap) giving us a major update on the film. It turns out that Bird “is in the middle” of making “Ray Gunn,” which is now CG and intended for release on Netflix in 2026.
Pop the champagne bottles, this is huge.
“Ray Gunn” has been a passion project of Bird's for nearly 30 years. Originally created alongside writer Matthew Robbins, it's reportedly the story of the last human private detective, Raymund Gunn, in a future world composed of humans and aliens.
Last we heard about “Ray Gunn,” Bird had been subjected to a ton of oversight and notes on this passion project, which slowed down pre-production. It didn’t help that Apple backed away from their deal with Skydance, which ended with Netflix taking over the toon company in 2023.
Earlier in the year, THR’s sources claimed that the relationship between Skydance Animation and Apple soured when the tech giant concluded that a few of the animated projects were too costly and not strong enough creatively. One particular film that was said to be a “dealbreaker” for Apple was, you guessed it, “Ray Gunn” which, it turns out, is supposed to have a budget exceeding $150 million.
Taylor’s reporting confirms that “Ray Gunn” will indeed be seeing the light of day. It’ll also be released way before “The Incredibles 3” which is still currently in active development. Bird is a true visionary, his other notable credits include “The Iron Giant,” “Ratatouille,” and “The Incredibles.”