Brad Bird Reflects on His Career, Shares First Look at Netflix's Ray Gunn at San Diego Comic-Con
The award-winning filmmaker looked back on decades of storytelling while treating Comic-Con attendees to an exclusive preview of his upcoming animated feature.
SAN DIEGO - Brad Bird took the stage in Hall H on Thursday for Brad Bird: My Cinematic Journey, where he reflected on the films that have defined his career and gave fans an exclusive first look at his upcoming animated feature, Ray Gunn.
Moderated by Collider editor-in-chief Steven Weintraub, the conversation covered Bird’s work on The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol. Along the way, Bird shared behind-the-scenes stories, talked about the creative decisions that shaped those films, and reflected on what he’s learned throughout his career.
One of the more memorable stories came from the making of Ratatouille. Bird revealed that another actor had originally been cast as Remy and had already recorded dialogue for the role. After hearing the performance, he realized it wasn’t the right fit and suggested Patton Oswalt instead. The change gave the character the voice audiences know today.
Fans also got an exclusive seven-minute preview of Ray Gunn, Bird’s upcoming animated feature from Skydance Animation and Netflix. The project has been in development for more than 30 years, with Bird describing it as a blend of classic science fiction and 1940s detective films. He has previously summed it up as “The Maltese Falcon meets Buck Rogers.”
Bird also shared that he is currently working on The Incredibles 3 while finishing Ray Gunn. He didn’t reveal new details about the sequel, but confirmed the project is moving forward.
Throughout the panel, Bird reflected on the highs and challenges of his career, sharing stories from behind the scenes and the storytelling philosophy that has guided his work for decades.