It’s been too long since Brad Bird made a thing. A sizzle reel of The Iron Giant, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Ratatouille, and The Incredibles opened his “My Cinematic Journey” panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, and reminded the audience how good Bird is at humor, action, rhythm, and pace.
It’s why audiences will look forward to his upcoming movie, Ray Gunn, which will be released on December 18 on Netflix.
At SDCC, Steven Weintraub guided the conversation through Bird’s career highlights, creative process, and personal stories.
Weintraub made space for quick anecdotes from Bird about his work. Why did the beloved Iron Giant not do well when it first released? “Turns out there’s this thing called marketing,” joked Bird.
Is it true you’re great at receiving notes?
“I don’t mind notes if they’re not stupid.”
How do we get that amazing review from Ego at the end of Ratatouille?
Movies often end by going faster and bigger, but Bird felt going slower and smaller was more emotional resonant for the story.
The Hall H crowd was teased with talk about Ray Gunn. Bird called it “Buck Rogers meets The Maltese Falcon.” But Bird thought it best explained by showing the first seven minutes of the film to attendees.
The world of Ray Gunn feels like a mix of art deco, The Fifth Element, and noir style with the storytelling Bird is famous for. The voice cast of Sam Worthington, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Waits make animators’ jobs that much easier with their expressive performances.
Looking to the future, Ray Gunn isn’t the only new Bird project on the horizon. He revealed at the panel that he is currently writing The Incredibles 3, but leaving the directing chair open for Peter Sohn.
When it comes to animation or live action, Weintraub wondered how Bird approaches each. It was an easy answer for Bird: “It’s all film, man.”
Stay tuned to The Beat for more news from SDCC ’26.
