Robert De Niro to Star in Adaptation of Alex North’s ‘The Whisper Man’ for Netflix, James Ashcroft to Direct

Netflix and AGBO are bringing The Whisper Man to life, and things are moving fast. Sources say Robert De Niro has signed on to star in the crime thriller, with James Ashcroft directing. The screenplay is being adapted by Ben Jacoby and Chase Palmer.

The film is based on Alex North’s bestselling novel and follows a crime writer who turns to his estranged father—a retired cop—after his young son goes missing. As they dig deeper, they uncover eerie links to an old case involving a convicted serial killer known as ‘The Whisper Man.’

Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Angela Russo-Otstot, and Michael Disco are producing for AGBO. This marks the sixth collaboration between Netflix and AGBO, following films like Extraction, The Gray Man, and Mosul. Kassee Whiting and Marcus Viscidi are also involved as executive producers. Filming is set to begin this spring on the East Coast.

‘AGBO is thrilled to continue working with Netflix,’ said Russo-Otstot, AGBO’s chief creative officer. ‘The Whisper Man is more than just a thriller—it’s a deep, emotional story about fathers and sons. Having an actor like Robert De Niro lead this project, with James Ashcroft directing, is a dream.’

Netflix and De Niro have built a strong partnership, starting with The Irishman and continuing with his upcoming series Zero Day. He’s also set to appear in Warner Bros’ The Alto Knights, playing two roles.

Meanwhile, AGBO’s next big project is The Electric State, a sci-fi adventure starring Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Woody Norman, Giancarlo Esposito, and Stanley Tucci.

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