Brad Bird Looks Back on a Legendary Career and Forward to ‘Ray Gunn’ at SDCC 2026 [Exclusive]

Every year, Collider takes the stage at San Diego Comic-Con to invite con-goers to our in-depth conversations with the creatives behind the magic and craftsmanship of filmmaking with our “Directors on Directing” and “Producers on Producing” panels. This year, we’re honored to announce that we have the opportunity to highlight Academy Award-winning filmmaker Brad Bird with our panel, “Brad Bird: My Cinematic Journey.”

This year, Bird will join us for a wide-ranging conversation celebrating his remarkable career, including The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol. Bird will discuss his creative process, storytelling approach, and the unforgettable characters and worlds that have defined his films. He’ll also give fans an exclusive first look at his upcoming Skydance Animation and Netflix feature, Ray Gunn, sharing new details about the film’s story, style, and what audiences can expect from his much-anticipated next film. Guiding the conversation is Collider’s editor-in-chief, Steven Weintraub. Don’t miss out on your chance to join us in celebrating Bird’s impact on the world of film!

What Is Netflix’s ‘Ray Gunn’ About?

Collider recently sat down with Bird at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where the writer and director previewed the first seven minutes of the Netflix film. During that conversation, Bird explained how his adult animated movie evolved over the 30 years that he’s held on to the dream of seeing it come to fruition, going from a 2D animated tale to utilizing the tools available today to “treat it like a live-action movie.”

In Ray Gunn, set to premiere on Netflix on December 18, private detective Raymond Gunn (voiced by Sam Rockwell) is the last human detective in a futuristic world where humans and aliens coexist. Metropia is a megacity set in an alternate 1939 universe, blending ‘40s noir with sci-fi when Gunn takes on a case that draws him into a murder mystery, and the alluring pull of multimedia star Venus Nova, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.

For more information on our “Brad Bird: My Cinematic Journey” panel, be sure to keep an eye on SDCC’s schedule updates, where they’ll be announcing the panel’s time, location, and date soon.

Director

Brad Bird

Writers

Matthew Robbins, Brad Bird

Producers

Alex Schwartz, Brad Bird, Connie Nartonis Thompson, Dana Goldberg, David Ellison, Hannah Minghella, John Lasseter, Karen Rupert Toliver, Lisa Beroud