The Whisper Man Sets August 28 Netflix Premiere

Robert De Niro and Adam Scott are taking on a much darker story with The Whisper Man, an American crime thriller adapted from Alex North’s bestselling 2019 novel. Directed by James Ashcroft, the film is set to premiere digitally on Netflix on August 28, 2026.

The movie features a notable ensemble cast led by De Niro and Scott, alongside Michael Keaton, Michelle Monaghan, Hamish Linklater, and Owen Teague. Scott takes the lead role of Tom Kennedy, a widowed crime writer whose attempt to start over with his young son quickly turns into a fight for survival.

A New Home With a Disturbing Past

Tom Kennedy moves to the quiet town of Featherbank with his son, Jake, following the sudden death of his wife. Hoping that a fresh start will help them rebuild their lives, Tom settles into their new home unaware of the darkness attached to the town.

Featherbank has a long and disturbing connection to Frank Carter, a notorious serial killer who terrorized the community two decades earlier. Carter became known as “The Whisper Man” because of the way he targeted young boys, luring them from their homes by whispering outside their bedroom windows at night.

Not long after Tom and Jake arrive, another young boy vanishes under circumstances that bear an unsettling resemblance to Carter’s earlier crimes. The disappearance raises the possibility that someone is continuing the killer’s methods, whether as a copycat or an accomplice.

Then the danger reaches Tom’s own home.

Jake begins hearing a soft voice at his bedroom window, accompanied by tapping and whispering. What initially seems impossible soon becomes a terrifying warning that the events of Featherbank’s past may not be finished.

Desperate to protect his son, Tom seeks help from his estranged father, a retired detective who played a key role in capturing Frank Carter decades earlier. As father and son confront the secrets surrounding the original investigation, they must determine whether Carter’s legacy has returned before Jake becomes its next victim.

Alex North’s Bestseller Comes to the Screen

Published in June 2019, The Whisper Man marked Alex North’s debut as a novelist and quickly became both a critical and commercial success. The book reached the New York Times bestseller list and established North as a notable name in the thriller genre.

Part of the novel’s appeal comes from its combination of different elements. It blends the eerie atmosphere associated with supernatural horror with the grounded tension of a crime investigation and police procedural. That mixture gives the story a distinctive tone, moving between psychological fear and the mechanics of solving a serious criminal case.

The film adaptation is produced by AGBO, the production company founded by the Russo Brothers.

James Ashcroft Directs

The adaptation is directed by James Ashcroft, a New Zealand director, screenwriter, producer, and former actor whose work has often explored psychological tension and horror.

Ashcroft gained widespread international attention with his feature directorial debut, Coming Home in the Dark (2021). Adapted from a short story by Owen Marshall, the brutal thriller follows a family road trip that takes a horrifying turn. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it earned critical acclaim and attracted the attention of major Hollywood studios.

Ashcroft subsequently directed The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024), another psychological thriller based on an Owen Marshall short story. The film stars John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush.

With The Whisper Man, Ashcroft moves into another unsettling mystery, bringing Alex North’s bestselling novel to the screen while working with a cast that includes Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, Michael Keaton, Michelle Monaghan, Hamish Linklater, and Owen Teague.

The Whisper Man is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on August 28, 2026.