Some animated projects take a few years to develop. Brad Bird's "Ray Gunn" has been gestating since the Clinton administration.

The retro-futuristic animated feature — now set up at Skydance Animation — just landed a voice cast that suggests this thing might actually, finally, truly happen. Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, and Tom Waits are joining the project, according to reports from Yahoo News New Zealand, alongside longtime Bird collaborator John Ratzenberger.

If those names sound like they were pulled from an animation director's fever dream wish list, that's because they basically are. This is the kind of casting that happens when you've earned enough credibility to get anyone you want on the phone — and Bird has certainly earned it.

The Project That Wouldn't Die

For those unfamiliar with the "Ray Gunn" saga, here's the abbreviated version: Bird originally conceived this project in the 1990s, back when he was still best known as a director on "The Simpsons." The concept — a retro-futuristic adventure with clear homages to mid-century sci-fi aesthetics — never quite found the right home or the right moment.

Then Bird went off and became, you know, Brad Bird. "The Iron Giant" cemented his reputation as an animation auteur who could make you cry about a robot. "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille" turned him into Pixar royalty. He even took a detour into live-action with "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol" and "Tomorrowland," proving he could handle actual humans and actual explosions.

But "Ray Gunn" kept lurking in the background, this passion project that Bird would mention in interviews with the wistful tone of someone describing their unfinished novel. The fact that it's finally moving forward at Skydance Animation — the studio behind "Luck" and the upcoming "Spellbound" — feels like watching someone finally get to make their high school garage band's demo album, except with a professional orchestra and unlimited studio time.

A Voice Cast That Actually Makes Sense

Let's talk about why these casting choices are genuinely inspired rather than just expensive.

Scarlett Johansson has proven herself as a voice actor multiple times over. Her work as the AI operating system in "Her" showed she could convey complex emotion through voice alone. She's also no stranger to animation, having voiced characters in projects ranging from "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" to "Sing" and its sequel. More importantly, she has that classic Hollywood quality that fits perfectly with the retro-futuristic aesthetic Bird favors — she could've been a star in any decade.

Sam Rockwell is the kind of actor who makes everything more interesting just by showing up. His manic energy and impeccable timing have elevated everything from "Galaxy Quest" to "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri." In voice work specifically, he's demonstrated range and commitment — his performance in "The One and Only Ivan" proved he could bring depth to animation. For a Brad Bird project, which typically demands both humor and heart, Rockwell is perfect casting.

Then there's Tom Waits, and this is where things get really interesting. Waits is not primarily an actor — he's a legendary musician and songwriter whose gravelly voice sounds like it was aged in a barrel of bourbon and cigarettes. But when he does act, he brings an otherworldly quality that's impossible to replicate. His rare voice work includes playing himself in "The Simpsons" and various quirky characters in films by directors who understand his unique appeal. For a retro-futuristic project, that lived-in, timeless voice is absolute gold.

John Ratzenberger's inclusion is both expected and welcome. The man has appeared in every Pixar film from "Toy Story" through "Onward" — he's basically the studio's good luck charm. While "Ray Gunn" is a Skydance production, Bird clearly wanted to bring along at least one member of his usual repertory company. Ratzenberger's presence suggests this project, despite its new studio home, will carry the DNA of Bird's Pixar classics.

What This Means for Skydance Animation

Skydance Animation has been positioning itself as a serious player in the feature animation space, but it's still building its brand identity. The studio was founded in 2017 as a division of David Ellison's Skydance Media, with former Pixar executive John Lasseter joining as head of the animation division in 2019 — a controversial hire given the allegations of workplace misconduct that led to his departure from Disney.

Landing a Brad Bird passion project is a significant coup for the studio. Bird brings not just his own considerable reputation, but also the promise of the kind of original, director-driven animation that's become increasingly rare in an industry dominated by sequels and franchise extensions.

The voice cast announcement also signals that Skydance is willing to invest in top-tier talent. Johansson, Rockwell, and Waits don't come cheap, and their involvement suggests the studio is betting big on this project's potential.

The Retro-Futuristic Sweet Spot

Bird has always had an affinity for a specific aesthetic — that optimistic, streamlined vision of the future that dominated the 1950s and 60s. "The Incredibles" was soaked in mid-century modern design. "Tomorrowland," for all its flaws, was a love letter to the futurism of vintage Disneyland.

"Ray Gunn," based on everything Bird has said about it over the years, seems to exist firmly in that same sweet spot. It's the kind of retro-futurism that imagines chrome rockets and atomic-powered cars, when people genuinely believed technology would solve all our problems rather than create new, more complicated ones.

There's something appealing about that aesthetic right now, in 2026, when our actual future feels increasingly uncertain and our technology seems designed primarily to show us advertisements and argue with us. A Brad Bird film that leans into that optimistic, stylized vision of tomorrow might be exactly the escapism audiences are craving.

The Animation Landscape in 2026

It's worth considering what "Ray Gunn" is entering into. The animation industry is in a weird place. Disney and Pixar are still dominant but facing increasing competition from Netflix, Sony, Illumination, and DreamWorks. Original animated features are becoming rarer as studios lean harder on established IP — because why take a risk on something new when you can make "Frozen 17"?

This makes Bird's project both risky and potentially valuable. If "Ray Gunn" succeeds, it proves there's still an audience for original animated storytelling from a singular creative voice. If it stumbles, it reinforces the industry's worst instincts about playing it safe.

The voice cast suggests Skydance and Bird are swinging for the fences. These aren't just names to put on a poster — they're actors who bring specific qualities that could elevate the material. That's the approach Bird has always taken, treating animation as a medium for serious storytelling rather than just kids' entertainment.

What We Don't Know Yet

Plot details remain scarce, which is both frustrating and kind of refreshing. In an era when studios release detailed synopses and teaser trailers years before a film's release, "Ray Gunn" remains genuinely mysterious. We know it's retro-futuristic. We know it's been a passion project for Bird for decades. We know the voice cast is stacked.

What we don't know is when we'll actually see it. Animation production timelines are long under the best circumstances, and this is a project that's already been in development for literal decades. A 2027 or 2028 release seems plausible, but nothing's been announced.

We also don't know if Bird is directing solo or if this will be a co-directing situation, which has become more common in animation. Given how personal this project seems to be for him, solo seems more likely.

The Bigger Picture

The real story here isn't just about one animated film adding some famous voices. It's about what happens when a director finally gets to make the thing they've been dreaming about for thirty years. That can go one of two ways — either you get "Apocalypse Now," a masterpiece forged from obsession, or you get "Heaven's Gate," a cautionary tale about unchecked creative vision.

Brad Bird's track record suggests he knows how to channel his obsessions productively. "The Iron Giant" was a box office disappointment that became a beloved classic. "The Incredibles" was a superhero movie that predated the Marvel Cinematic Universe's dominance and still stands as one of the best films in the genre. Even "Tomorrowland," which didn't quite work, was at least trying to say something meaningful about optimism and imagination.

"Ray Gunn" has the potential to be Bird's most personal film, the one he's been carrying around in his head since before he was famous enough to get it made. That's either going to result in something truly special or something that only makes sense to the person who created it.

With Johansson, Rockwell, Waits, and Ratzenberger lending their voices, at least we know it'll sound good while we find out which one it is.