Ray Gunn Soundtrack from Netflix Has a Giacchino Score

While only recently announced, Michael Giacchino’s Ray Gunn soundtrack is already making headlines among animation and soundtrack fans. That’s because he recorded the music for the upcoming Netflix animated feature from Brad Bird at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, with a live orchestra.

 Keep reading to learn more about the film and Giacchino’s involvement with it.

Why Michael Giacchino’s Ray Gunn Soundtrack Is Such Exciting News

Some movie announcements instantly tell you the film will be great, long before you get to watch it.  One of them is learning that Michael Giacchino is writing the music for it. That’s because you know the film will likely have a real orchestral score and an eventual soundtrack release.

Such is the case for Ray Gunn, Netflix’s upcoming animated feature from Brad Bird. Just hearing Giacchino’s name attached to it would be enough to gather interest among soundtrack fans. However, they went further in the announcement, saying that the Ray Gunn soundtrack was recorded live at the world-famous Abby Road Studios in London, England.

What Is Netflix’s Animated Feature Ray Gunn About?

However, we must first discuss the film before we can talk about Michael Giacchino’s Ray Gunn score. Luckily, Netflix didn’t leave us hanging with the details.

For instance, Ray Gunn is an original animated sci-fi detective story set in Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate futuristic 1939. Additionally, the film stars Sam Rockwell (as private eye Raymond Gunn), Scarlett Johansson (as multimedia star Venus Nova), and Tom Waits, among others.

Now, even before you get to Giacchino, that premise already suggests numerous musical possibilities. That’s because such a retro-futurist noir setting lets the score pivot between hardboiled mystery, swooning romance, sleek science fiction, and playful pulp adventure.

Brad Bird and Michael Giacchino’s Creative Track Record

Then, there’s the history behind it. That’s because Ray Gunn is the sixth collaboration between Bird and Giacchino. In other words, they have a history together making such hits as The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Tomorrowland, and Incredibles 2.

That history is more than just a list of credits. It’s a creative relationship built on rhythm, color, and storytelling momentum. In other words, Giacchino can meet Bird’s velocity and precision without flattening the emotional texture.

For example, there’s the jazzy swagger and superhero snap of The Incredibles, or the warmth and elegance he brought to Ratatouille. All of them are beloved for how well they worked for their films or as standalone albums. Giacchino’s Ray Gunn soundtrack will likely be the same.

What Giacchino Means for The Ray Gunn Soundtrack

There is a real difference between a score that merely functions in the background and one that you want to revisit, catalog, compare, and collect in multiple formats.

Giacchino has long understood that distinction. Because of this, you can often remember his cues by name and hum his motifs after one listen. In other words, his music rewards repeat plays.

And collectors notice when a composer has that gift, wondering:

• How will the music play in the film?
• How will the eventual soundtrack album be sequenced
• Will there be alternate takes?
• Will a deluxe edition surface later?
• Will the soundtrack have a physical release?

Abbey Road Studios and the Promise of a Big Orchestral Sound

Then, there’s Abbey Road. Knowing that Giacchino recorded the Ray Gunn score there feels wonderfully old-school and appropriately cinematic.

Brad Bird even said that it was one reason he loves working with Giacchino. Going further, he noted how well the composer treats the orchestral music “like a living organism,” allowing the musicians to respond to one another.

Now, that’s music-fan gold when most scores today feel overly assembled or sonically overprocessed. In that light, an organic orchestral performance for an animated noir adventure is very appealing. You can almost already hear the brass bite, the string shimmer, and the rhythmic propulsion.

That’s Why the Ray Gunn Soundtrack Looks Perfect

And isn’t that basically what we want? Original worlds. Distinct directorial voices. Music with personality.

Sure, we often discuss streamed animated films only in terms of their platform or release date.  However, the draw is often more tangible for soundtrack fans. We want to know how the movie will inspire its music.

Luckily, we can guess what the Ray Gunn soundtrack may sound like from what we already know of it. It’s supposed to be a blend of noir iconography, science fiction, and a star-powered mystery within a stylized cityscape. That suggests the score will have:

• Big band attitude
• Golden-age orchestration
• Futuristic textures
• Giacchino’s gift for rhythmic wit

The Pop Culture Energy Behind the Ray Gunn Soundtrack

Then, there’s what Giacchino himself said about the project, describing it as “two kids meeting in a park to talk about Jonny Quest.”

That quote alone tells you everything. Moreover, that enthusiasm isn’t manufactured. It’s the result of their shared affection for pop culture, pulp adventure, classic storytelling, and cinematic scale. As a result, we can expect the Ray Gunn soundtrack to reflect that shared obsession as well.

Michael Giacchino’s Animation Legacy Makes This Even More Promising

We must also consider Giacchino’s broader legacy in animation. He has already left his mark through his work for Pixar and Disney. For instance, we already know his music can be very emotional, as in Up. Then, there’s the vibrant color and heart of the Coco, Inside Out, and Zootopia soundtracks.

In other words, he understands how animation can support heightened musical sound without playing it safe or with an apology. That confidence is also another reason to get excited about his involvement with Ray Gunn.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, until we hear an official single or track preview, we can only speculate about what the Ray Gunn soundtrack will sound like. However, based on what we already know, it looks like Netflix isn’t treating it as an afterthought.

That’s because they gave it to a composer with proven animation credentials and a filmmaker who values orchestral performance. So now we can look forward to whatever inventive, thematic music they are about to unleash upon us.

But that’s just my take. What’s yours?

Post your thoughts in the forums or the comments below.