Italian American Powerhouse AGBO Unveils Hit Thriller ‘The Whisper Man’ on Netflix

AGBO’s latest feature film, The Whisper Man, premiered Friday on Netflix and surged to the platform’s no. 1 spot, marking another major release for the independent studio founded by Italian American filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo. Based on Alex North’s bestselling 2019 novel, the psychological crime thriller brings together an acclaimed cast led by Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan and Michael Keaton.

Directed by New Zealand filmmaker James Ashcroft, The Whisper Man follows widowed crime writer Tom Kennedy, played by Scott, whose young son is abducted under circumstances that appear linked to a decades-old serial killer case. Desperate for answers, Kennedy turns to his estranged father, a retired detective portrayed by De Niro, uncovering a mystery that blends psychological suspense with family drama.

While the film delivers the chilling atmosphere and mystery that made North’s novel a bestseller, AGBO executives have emphasized that the story’s emotional core centers on family relationships and the bond between fathers and sons. The combination of suspense and human drama has become a hallmark of many AGBO productions, which often pair large-scale entertainment with character-driven storytelling.

The release represents AGBO’s sixth collaboration with Netflix, further cementing a partnership that has produced several high-profile projects in recent years, including Extraction andThe Gray Man. Founded in 2017 by the Russo brothers amid their success directing Marvel blockbusters such as Avengers: Infinity Warand Avengers: Endgame, AGBO has grown into one of Hollywood’s most ambitious independent studios, developing films, television projects and interactive media for global audiences.

Angela Russo-Otstot, who serves as AGBO’s Chief Creative Officer and producer of The Whisper Man, was among those attending the film’s New York premiere. Alongside her brothers, Anthony and Joe Russo, she has played a key role in building AGBO’s success, helping oversee a growing portfolio of big budget projects that are helmed by up-and-coming filmmakers who are recruited by AGBO.

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Production on The Whisper Man began in 2025, with filming taking place in New Jersey. The project quickly attracted attention thanks to its all-star cast, including the on-screen reunion of De Niro and Keaton nearly three decades after they appeared together in Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown.

For AGBO, the premiere of The Whisper Man underscores the studio’s continued push into prestige genre filmmaking. By adapting a bestselling novel and pairing it with award-winning talent both in front of and behind the camera, the company continues to expand its footprint beyond blockbuster action films while maintaining its focus on compelling, character-driven stories.

In 1930, immigrant families banded together to create the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA), now one of the most prominent and financially successful Italian American organizations in the nation. In the last decade, we built a 730,000-strong social media community, grew our not-for-profit fraternal association, ISDA Financial Life, to nearly a half billion dollars in member assets, co-founded the Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum (RBIAFF), and launched the fastest-growing Italian American publication (La Nostra Voce). 

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