Netflix & Scarlett Johansson’s New Sci-Fi Movie Finally Settles Rating After Reported Battle

Following a reported battle, Netflix and Scarlett Johansson’s new sci-fi movie, Ray Gunn, has finally settled on a rating.

Co-written and directed by Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille), Netflix’s upcoming animated movie combines elements of neo-noir, sci-fi, and mystery – following the titular Ray Gunn, the last human private detective in a futuristic world inhabited by humans and aliens. It features the voices of Sam Rockwell as Ray Gunn and Scarlett Johansson as Venus Nova, a pop star struggling with a scandal.

Now, according to FilmRatings, Ray Gunn has officially been rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for “violence, action, language, some suggestive material and thematic elements.” This comes after The Wrap previously reported that Bird was pushing for a PG-13 rating, while Netflix preferred a PG rating to make the animated movie more accessible to families.

A PG-13 rating would keep the movie out of Netflix’s Kids profiles and Kids tab, limiting its visibility among younger viewers and family audiences. Considering Netflix’s commercial priorities, it never seemed especially likely that they would ultimately side with director Brad Bird‘s preference.

If that’s how it ultimately played out, it seems that Bird lost control over the film’s final cut. To finally bring his passion project to life, a $150 million movie he had been trying to make since the late 1990s, Bird arguably had little choice but to accept the realities of partnering with Netflix, which almost always requires some degree of creative compromise.

The simple truth is that no traditional studio was willing to put up the money. Netflix was the only company that ultimately gave the project a green light and made it a reality.

Ray Gunn is currently scheduled to debut exclusively on Netflix on December 18, with no current plans for a traditional theatrical release. However, it’s likely the movie will receive a limited theatrical run in November to qualify for Oscar consideration. Bird has already won two Oscars for Best Animated Feature – Pixar’s The Incredibles (2004) and Ratatouille (2007).

The animated film also features the voices of Tom Waits as Eyera, Ray’s alien colleague, and Patton Oswalt (Ratatouille) as a hologram alongside Kathryn Hunter, John Ratzenberger (The Incredibles), and Jamie Costa. Scarlett Johansson voices Venus Nova, a “famous pop star struggling from a scandal that threatens to destroy her career — and may even cost her life.”

Brad Bird co-wrote the script for Ray Gunn with Matthew Robbins.