First Look at Netflix’s Summer Crime Thriller With Robert De Niro and Adam Scott: ‘The Whisper Man’

The Whisper Man. (L-R) Acston Luca Porto as Jake Kennedy and Adam Scott as Tom Kennedy in The Whisper Man. Cr. David Lee/Netflix © 2026

Netflix is gearing up to deliver the chills this summer with The Whisper Man, a brand-new crime thriller starring Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, and Michelle Monaghan. We’ve just received our very first look at the upcoming adaptation, which is officially set to hit Netflix globally on August 28th, 2026.

The new movie marks Netflix’s sixth major collaboration with AGBO, the powerhouse production company founded by the Russo Brothers (the team behind massive Netflix hits like The Gray Man and the ever-growing Extraction franchise).

Directed by James Ashcroft (Coming Home in the Dark, The Rule of Jenny Pen) and penned by Ben Jacoby (The First Omen) alongside Chase Palmer (It), the film is an adaptation of the New York Times best-selling novel of the same name by author Alex North. It’s been a long time coming, you may remember we first scooped the project heading to Netflix all the way back in April 2022.

Here’s a reminder on everything you need to know about The Whisper Man before it lands on your watch list, including the new first looks:

What is the plot of The Whisper Man?

“If you leave a door half open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken. If your window’s left unlatched, you’ll hear him tapping at the glass. If you’re lonely, sad, and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you.”

That spine-tingling playground rhyme sits at the very heart of the new movie.

According to Netflix’s official synopsis, the story follows a widowed crime writer whose 8-year-old son is suddenly abducted. Desperate, he is forced to turn to his estranged father—a retired police detective—for help. Together, they discover a horrifying connection between the recent abduction and a decades-old cold case involving a convicted serial killer known locally as “The Whisper Man.”

When children start vanishing and the old playground rhyme begins to circulate once more, the retired detective who originally locked away the so-called Whisper Man must spring back into action.

The core cast for the film includes Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott, Hamish Linklater, Owen Teague, Acston Luca Porto, and Will Brill.

Speaking to USA Today, which exclusively debuted the new photos, star Adam Scott opened up about the surreal experience of acting alongside his lifelong idol, Robert De Niro. A fan since he was 11 years old—he even had pictures of the acting legend taped to his middle school locker—Scott admitted he “never got used to it,” hilariously recalling how his wife had to remind him it was okay to casually ask De Niro questions about The Irishman between takes. Beyond the behind-the-scenes fanboying, Scott emphasized the grueling emotional weight of the thriller. As a father of two himself, he noted that audiences will easily connect to the “total emotional and physical nightmare” and the “complete powerlessness” his character feels when his young son is abducted into the terrifying orbit of a serial killer.

Director James Ashcroft also shed light on the film’s sinister tone, explaining to the outlet that the movie “reveals itself in layers of escalating tension and dread” by grounding the nightmare in a familiar, ordinary setting. While Ashcroft views The Whisper Man fundamentally as a complex story about fathers and sons, it’s one laced with a deeply unsettling anxiety. To achieve this creeping atmosphere, the filmmaker revealed he mined similar territory to iconic psychological thrillers like The Silence of the Lambs, Prisoners, and Zodiac, hoping to emulate the way those genre classics left an indelible mark on audiences through complex relationships and powerhouse performances.

The Whisper Man. Michelle Monaghan as Amanda Beck in The Whisper Man. Cr. David Lee/Netflix © 2026

The Whisper Man. Adam Scott as Tom Kennedy in The Whisper Man. Cr. David Lee/Netflix © 2026

The Whisper Man. (L-R) Robert De Niro as Peter Willis, Adam Scott as Tom Kennedy and Michelle Monaghan as Amanda Beck in The Whisper Man. Cr. David Lee/Netflix © 2026

What is the runtime and age rating for The Whisper Man?

If you were hoping for a family-friendly mystery, you’ll want to look elsewhere. The Whisper Man has been recently officially Rated R for some bloody violence, disturbing images, suicide, language, and brief sexual references.

The movie will have a confirmed runtime of 1 hour and 51 minutes.

When is The Whisper Man coming to Netflix?

Mark your calendars! The Whisper Man is currently slated to drop on Netflix globally on Wednesday, August 28th, 2026. That date was first revealed as part of its Summer 2026 movie preview yesterday. 

Are you looking forward to checking out The Whisper Man on Netflix later this summer? Let us know in the comments down below!