Netflix Submits Original Song From ‘Ray Gunn’ for Oscars, Written by Kimbra and Performed by Scarlett Johansson (EXCLUSIVE)

Netflix has thrown its hat into the Oscar race for Best Original Song, putting forward "Too Much To Ask" from its animated film Ray Gunn. Variety reported exclusively that sources connected to the project confirmed the streaming giant's plans. The movie, helmed by director Brad Bird, unfolds in Metropia, an expansive cityscape rendered in a 1939 retro-futuristic style. At its center is detective Raymond Gunn, who becomes entangled in a mystery involving extraterrestrial beings, a homicide, and a glamorous multimedia sensation named Venus Nova. Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, and Tom Waits lead the voice cast. Bird, who already holds two Academy Awards for The Incredibles and Ratatouille, has consistently merged vintage genre elements with contemporary animation techniques. This track record positions Ray Gunn as a logical awards-season player for Netflix, a company that has actively chased original song nods since launching its 2019 push for Klaus.

The song itself comes from Kimbra, a New Zealand-born musician who has secured two Grammy Awards for her genre-blurring work across pop, rock, R&B, and jazz. For Ray Gunn, she wrote three original pieces, with "Too Much To Ask" serving as the emotional centerpiece for Venus Nova, the character voiced by Johansson. Kimbra framed the challenge as solving a creative puzzle: inhabiting a figure who has achieved massive stardom yet remains hungry for authenticity. According to the singer, the track exposes everything Venus Nova has suppressed. She channeled her own encounters with the music business's commercial pressures while striving to safeguard her artistic identity. The finished work, she explained, draws from soul music's emotional foundation, which she characterized as music stemming from heartbreak. Kimbra initially gained global recognition through Gotye's 2011 smash "Somebody That I Used to Know," a Grammy-winning duet that highlighted her ability to merge dramatic flair with genuine feeling.

Recording sessions were held at London's legendary Abbey Road Studios, where the London Symphony Orchestra handled the arrangement. For Kimbra, the experience represented a significant leap forward as both a songwriter and producer. She noted that the orchestral setting stands in sharp contrast to "Innocent," a separate Venus Nova number in the film that she describes as an intentionally catchy pop confection inspired by Britney Spears and Charli XCX. Kimbra said she relished the challenge of crafting something that burrows into listeners' heads, aiming for a melody that feels irresistibly infectious while still serving the character's arc. For "Too Much To Ask," she drew on influences ranging from Billie Holiday to Aretha Franklin, describing her ambition as a Twin Peaks-esque enigmatic ballad. Abbey Road, immortalized by the Beatles' 1969 album, has evolved into a highly desirable location for film scoring in recent years, lending additional prestige to the submission.

Kimbra also praised Johansson's commitment to the vocal performances, noting that the actress naturally sings in a lower range and embraced the opportunity to explore unfamiliar territory. She voiced profound admiration for how Johansson immersed herself in songs that were far from easy. Ray Gunn is a Netflix and Skydance Animation production, with John Lasseter, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Lisa Beroud attached as producers. The film arrives in theaters on Dec. 18. If "Too Much To Ask" secures a nomination, it would add to a widening roster of animated features whose original songs have struck a chord with Academy voters, ranging from Beauty and the Beast to Frozen. Netflix's move underscores a deliberate strategy to compete in a category where celebrity appeal, critical acclaim, and calculated campaigning frequently determine the final five slots.