Brad Bird Officially Reveals Why He Chose Ray Gunn on Netflix Over Pixar

Brad Bird‘s next animated movie, Ray Gunn, is coming to Netflix in December. Ahead of the highly anticipated release, the director has discussed why he chose Netflix over Pixar. In an interview with The Direct, he revealed that he never actually pitched the film to Pixar, and he has good reasoning. Bird noted,

I wanted to make this a little bit different flavor wise, and that’s why I didn’t pitch it at Pixar.

Why Brad Bird Didn’t Pitch Ray Gunn to Pixar

A still from Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn | Credits: Netflix

He explained that he wanted the film to be aimed at an older audience, or simply that he felt like the project didn’t fit what Pixar was generally interested in. He was sure that he wanted to make something outside his usual Pixar lane. “The Pixar audience is wide, and I love that, and I love working with Pixar,” he said, noting he wanted to aim the film at least at teenagers. Ray Gunn simply fit the Pixar mold.

That said, Bird is still continuing his collaboration with Pixar. He is involved with the studio’s upcoming Peter Sohn-directed film, The Incredibles 3. However, for Ray Gunn, Netflix is the perfect home, Bird thinks. He noted that the streamer’s involvement was crucial because the project was initially struggling to secure financing.

In Netflix’s own interview, Bird said that he was happy that Netflix “saw potential” in Ray Gunn.

Brad Bird Reveals Ray Gunn Was Shelved at Warner Bros. for Years

A still from Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn | Credits: Netflix

Ray Gunn is Brad Bird’s true passion project. He has revealed to Netflix Tudum that he had been developing it for the last 30 years, initially as hand-drawn animations. However, it was stuck for years, mostly being shelved at Warner Bros. Then he decided to resurrect it and get it out of “the catacombs at Warner Bros.” However, he noted that during this time, there was not much change to the core idea of the film that caused the delays.

He also explained that from the beginning, he was set on one fact. “It was always meant to be a blend of sci-fi and classic detective movies from the ’40s,” he said.

Ray Gunn will premiere on Netflix on December 18, 2026. It will also have a limited theatrical release in December. Do you think the movie is better for Netflix than Pixar?