Scarlett Johansson’s New Blade Runner-Like Sci-Fi Movie Is Officially Releasing Early (But There’s A Catch)

Published Sep 2, 2026, 9:43 AM EDT Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more. Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics." Scarlett Johansson's new sci-fi movie will release early, but not to the whole world. Johansson's long list of movies includes quite a few appearances in genre projects. Her time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe greatly contributed to that, as the superhero franchise leaned heavily on the sci-fi genre, with elements like Avengers: Endgame's time travel. That said, Johansson has also played a role in many full-on sci-fi movies over the years. Those range from the romantic story Her alongside Joaquin Phoenix to the sci-fi thriller Lucy to the cyberpunk manga adaptation Ghost in the Shell to last year's Jurassic World Rebirth and many more. Johansson has shown that she knows her way around sci-fi. Now, Johansson's next sci-fi movie, Netflix's Ray Gunn, will officially premiere early at the London Film Festival. The highly anticipated animated sci-fi movie from The Incredibles director Brad Bird is set to arrive on Netflix around the world on December 18. However, those who buy tickets to the London Film Festival will be able to watch the movie a couple of months earlier, as Ray Gunn's world premiere is set for October 10 at the festival. Additionally, Ray Gunn will also be screened at the BFI Imax during the London Film Festival on October 17, giving moviegoers another chance to catch it early. For those interested in watching Ray Gunn on the big screen two months before it premieres on Netflix, tickets for the Johansson sci-fi movie's showings will go on sale for the general public on Thursday, September 17, at 10 AM BST/5 AM ET. Ray Gunn hails from the mind of one of the best directors of all time in the animated medium. Bird directed some of the most popular animated movies ever, including The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and Incredibles 2. Ray Gunn marks his first movie since Incredibles 2 was released in 2018. The Netflix movie sees Sam Rockwell give life to the titular character, Raymond "Ray" Gunn, a private investigator who is the last human one in the futuristic city of Metropia. Johansson voices Venus Nova, a pop star facing a scandal that could destroy her career. Ray Gunn gets wrapped up in her case, which includes plenty of intrigue, aliens, and murder. Speaking to Netflix's TUDUM for the first look at Ray Gunn, Johansson addressed working with Bird, claiming that teaming up with the animation legend was a "career milestone" for the MCU star. Ray Gunn releases on the same day as Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three, making December 18 perhaps the busiest day in 2026 when it comes to movies. Besides its star duo, renowned director, intriguing concept, and gorgeous visuals, Ray Gunn has something else going for it to rival the theatrical behemoths. 2026 has been a great year for Netflix when it comes to sci-fi, with movies like Alan Ritchson's War Machine, and, more recently, Wagner Moura's The Last House topping charts worldwide. Johansson's Ray Gunn hopes to be the next on that list after select viewers get a first look in October. Release Date December 18, 2026 Director Brad Bird Writers Brad Bird, Matthew Robbins Producers John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Lisa Beroud, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg Cast Sam Rockwell Raymond Gunn (voice)