Scarlett Johansson (41) Turns up the Heat in Red at the ‘Ray Gunn’ World Premiere

Scarlett Johansson has spent this year lending her voice to one of the most anticipated animated projects in recent memory. Brad Bird’s ‘Ray Gunn’, a neo-noir sci-fi mystery the director has been trying to make for roughly 30 years, finally arrives with Johansson as one of its leading voices.

The film has a long and winding history. Bird originally set it up at Turner Feature Animation in the mid-1990s, but the project collapsed when Warner Bros. absorbed Turner, a setback that pushed him toward ‘The Iron Giant’ instead. It eventually found a home with Netflix and Skydance Animation.

On Saturday, October 10, Johansson stepped out for the world premiere of ‘Ray Gunn’ at the 70th BFI London Film Festival. She arrived in a vivid red strapless satin dress with a gathered, structured bodice and a full skirt that fell just past the knee.

Johansson kept her accessories minimal, adding a delicate gold pendant necklace. Her blonde hair was styled in soft, tousled waves at shoulder length, and she posed casually with her hands tucked into the dress’s pockets.

Scarlett Johansson at the ‘RAY GUNN’ premiere during the 70th BFI London Film Festival. 📷 https://t.co/RfZ0uj3TkM

— Cinethology (@thecinethology) October 10, 2026

The bold color popped against the film’s retro-futuristic backdrop, with its glowing marquee-style lettering and city skyline. It was a glamorous but relaxed look that suited the old-school Hollywood spirit of the movie itself.

In the film, Johansson voices Venus Nova, a hugely famous multimedia star whose life may be in danger. Her troubles drag Raymond Gunn, voiced by Sam Rockwell, into a murder investigation.

Rockwell’s character is one of the last human private detectives, working in a futuristic city set in an alternate version of 1939 where humans live alongside aliens. The story leans heavily on noir tradition while wrapping it in a genre-bending sci-fi shell.

Scarlett and Sam at Ray Gunn World Premiere! 🎥 britishfilminstitute https://t.co/CGjogghSFb

— Keeping Up with Scarlett (@whatsupscarlett) October 10, 2026

The voice cast also includes Tom Waits, Matt Berry, Bobby Cannavale, Michelle Rodriguez, Matt Jones, Aasif Mandvi, Alan Tudyk and Kathryn Hunter. Berry plays the film’s chief villain, an alien mob boss named Francis “Slugsy” Xavier, while Bird himself voices a pair of henchmen.

With the world premiere comes the first wave of critical response. In its review, Deadline compared Rockwell and Johansson’s pairing to Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, praising the film as a clever blend of science fiction and film noir that nods to classics like ‘The Maltese Falcon’ and ‘The Big Sleep’.

Bird co-wrote the screenplay with Matthew Robbins, based on his own original story, and Michael Giacchino composed the score. The film runs 119 minutes and carries a PG rating, reportedly after Bird pushed for PG-13.

Scarlett Johansson arrives at the “Ray Gunn” screening at BFI London Film Festival. https://t.co/IDAr3SZFuT

— L’avoir Magazine (@lavoirmagazine) October 10, 2026

Despite the family-friendly rating, Bird has stressed that the animated feature isn’t made specifically for children. His aim was to create something sincere that never talks down to its audience.

Most audiences will have to wait a little longer to see the film. ‘Ray Gunn’ hits select theaters on December 4 before arriving globally on Netflix on December 18. That streaming date puts it in direct competition with ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Dune: Part Three’, making it one of the busiest movie days of the year.

Festival-goers in London get another chance to catch it early at the BFI IMAX on October 17, and it will also screen as the animation centerpiece at the Montclair Film Festival the same day.

First trailer for ‘RAY GUNN’, directed by Brad Bird (‘The Incredibles’). The film follows a private detective who is drawn into a case involving aliens & murder in the alternate futuristic city Metropia. Releasing December 18 on Netflix. https://t.co/SiV84ap0Tu

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 23, 2026

For Johansson, the London premiere offered the perfect launch for a project decades in the making. With strong early buzz and a stunning red carpet moment, ‘Ray Gunn’ is off to a promising start.

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