Netflix is giving crime thriller and horror fans a new reason to sleep with the lights on. Robert De Niro stars in The Whisper Man, a dark new Netflix thriller based on Alex North’s bestselling novel, with the film set to premiere globally on August 28, 2026.
The streamer has also released a chilling first trailer, offering a glimpse at the story of a missing child, a convicted serial killer and a father-son relationship haunted by an old case.
‘The Whisper Man’ release date and Netflix details
The Whisper Man will arrive on Netflix on August 28, 2026. The film has a reported runtime of 1 hour and 51 minutes and combines crime and drama with psychological thriller elements.
The movie comes from AGBO, the production company founded by Joe and Anthony Russo. Netflix had reportedly been considering the project since 2022 before officially confirming the adaptation in 2025.
Robert De Niro leads ‘The Whisper Man’ cast
The film features a major ensemble led by Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan and Adam Scott. Adam Scott plays Tom Kennedy, while De Niro portrays his estranged father, Peter. Michelle Monaghan plays Amanda Beck.
The supporting cast includes Hamish Linklater, Owen Teague, Acston Luca Porto and Will Brill. Scott is known for Severance and Big Little Lies, while Monaghan has appeared in The White Lotus and Gone Baby Gone. Linklater previously starred in Midnight Mass, while Teague appeared in It.
James Ashcroft directs the film, with a screenplay by Ben Jacoby and Chase Palmer.
What is ‘The Whisper Man’ about?
Netflix's story follows Tom Kennedy, a widowed crime writer whose eight-year-old son is abducted.
Desperate to find his child, Tom turns to his estranged father, a retired police detective played by De Niro. Their search soon leads them back to a decades-old case involving a convicted serial killer known as the Whisper Man.
The trailer introduces a disturbing rhyme connected to the killer, immediately establishing the unsettling atmosphere surrounding the story.
The official synopsis describes the story as a mystery involving a missing child and a serial killer whose crimes continue to haunt the characters decades later.
‘The Whisper Man’ trailer teases a chilling mystery
The first trailer opens with a cassette tape and quickly introduces the eerie rhyme associated with the Whisper Man.
The footage also shows Tom seeking help from his father after his son disappears. As the investigation develops, the family discovers that the current abduction may be connected to a much older case.
The film appears to focus as much on the complicated relationship between father and son as it does on the mystery itself.
The book behind Netflix’s thriller
The Whisper Man is based on Alex North’s New York Times bestselling novel.
The book follows Tom and his young son Jake after they move following the death of Tom’s wife. Their new beginning takes a sinister turn when Jake becomes connected to an old child-abduction case and the serial killer known as the Whisper Man.
With Robert De Niro leading the adaptation and Netflix releasing it worldwide on August 28, The Whisper Man is shaping up as one of the platform’s major thriller releases of summer 2026.
