Brad Bird Talks How His Aborted Spirit Project Shaped Ray Gunn
Intro to the Gritty World of Ray Gunn
Hey there, film buffs and animation aficionados! After hitting the jackpot with crowd-pleasers like Ratatouille and the iconic Incredibles duo, plus dashing through the action of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Brad Bird is finally bringing his long-held dream to life with Ray Gunn. This Netflix gem has a little something for everyone, packing a punch of retro futurism sprinkled with noir mystery, all wrapped up in CGI. Get ready to meet our hard-boiled detective, Raymond Gunn (voiced by the one and only Sam Rockwell), with his quirky alien buddy Eyera (Tom Waits). Together, they dive headfirst into a wild case involving pop diva Venus Nova (Scarlett Johansson). Sounds like a rollercoaster, right?
The Spirit that Wasn’t
Before diving into Ray Gunn, Bird took a nostalgic stroll down memory lane, reminiscing about an old project that never saw the light of day: the adaptation of Will Eisner’s legendary comic series, The Spirit. This classic follows Denny Colt, a private eye who thought he was on the express train to the afterlife, only to rise again to fight crime like a supernatural superhero without any superpowers (take that, Superman!).
The Dream Team
Flashback to the early 80s when Bird and his fellow grad, Jerry Rees, teamed up with the Star Wars honcho Gary Kurtz to craft an animated version of The Spirit. They even whipped up an impressive pencil test animation—impressive enough to make you do a double-take! But alas, the universe had other plans. The gritty, noir-style animation left investors shaking in their boots, thinking audiences only want happy, singing creatures. So, poof! The project vanished.
Finding the Right Vibe
Fast forward to the early 90s when Bird took another swing at getting a mature animated flick off the ground with Ray Gunn. Initially, it was a hand-drawn saga at Turner Pictures and then at Warner Bros. Then, like a magician with a rabbit-in-a-hat, Bird was pulled towards making The Iron Giant instead. But now, with Ray Gunn getting a spin of life again, it’s clear that Raymond Gunn has Denny Colt’s spirit (pun intended!). Seriously, it’s a glorious fusion of Bird’s early concepts from The Spirit—who said history doesn’t repeat itself?
The Spark of Inspiration
“I never realized it at the time, but this project was like my unfulfilled itch,” Bird confessed, reflecting on the detective vibe he’s been carrying around. The original spark for Ray Gunn? A happy little accident: Bird mistook a tune from the B-52’s, “Planet Claire,” as the theme from the 50s show Peter Gunn. One misheard lyric led to a cascade of ideas flooding his mind, kind of like a detective version of musical chairs!
The Partnership that Endured
Bird’s buddy in this journey is Matthew Robbins, the co-writer of Ray Gunn and all-around cool guy. Their paths crossed back when Robbins dropped by Kurtz’s company as Bird and Rees were exploring The Spirit. They kept the friendship alive over the years, crafting drafts together and fine-tuning their work. Who knew failing to create The Spirit would birth such a solid partnership?
The Legacy Continues
While The Spirit eventually made its clumsy leap into live-action—complete with a TV movie in ’87 and an awkward 2008 film directed by Frank Miller—true fans still dream of a perfectly animated homage closer to Eisner’s brushstrokes. But for Brad Bird, he’s found a way to keep that spirit alive (there’s that pun again!) in Ray Gunn.
Mark the Date!
Circle December 18 on your calendars, folks, because that’s when Ray Gunn premieres on Netflix! Get ready for a cosmic ride through the detective tale we’ve been yearning for.