Actor Adam Scott shared his excitement over seeing Robert De Niro and Michael Keaton reunite on set for the Netflix thriller The Whisper Man, nearly thirty years after their appearance in the 1997 film Jackie Brown. The movie, which also stars Michelle Monaghan, Owen Teague, John Carroll Lynch, and Hamish Linklater, began streaming on Netflix Aug. 28.
When Adam Scott, 53, spoke to PEOPLE at the premiere of his and De Niro’s new Netflix movie The Whisper Man, in which Keaton also plays a role, he highlighted a cinematic reunion that instantly drew attention from cinephiles. Seeing Robert De Niro, 83, and Michael Keaton, 74, share screen time again nearly three decades after Jackie Brown was a big deal on set, according to the actor.
Scott told PEOPLE of De Niro and Keaton that it was a big deal on set that those guys were going to do a scene together, adding, “Oh my god.”
The project pairs Scott with De Niro as an estranged father-son duo investigating a child abduction. While the premise trades in familiar genre mechanics, the casting brings together veteran talent.
Plot Mechanics and Familiar Thriller Tropes in The Whisper Man
At its core, the story is based on author Alex North’s 2019 novel of the same name. It follows crime writer Tom Kennedy, portrayed by Adam Scott, who is trying to rebuild his life after recently being widowed and attempting to be a good father for his 8-year-old son, Jake. Alongside his son, he relocates to a small, seemingly quiet town seeking a fresh start—only for the boy to vanish without a trace.
The disappearance stirs up a dark, barely healed local history tied to a decades-old serial child killer known as The Whisper Man,
who terrorized the community by whispering under victims’ windows at night. De Niro steps into the role of Pete Willis, the retired and scarred father of the writer who originally solved the original psycho.
Critical reception noted that the film leans heavily into established genre tropes, deploying darkly lit corridors, harsh weather conditions for color, characters with pasts heavier than a millstone, and predictable twists. Yet reviewers observed that the cast rescues the material from its formulaic setup, with Michael Keaton also having a role and coming in to play and actually act alongside De Niro.
Behind the Scenes of the De Niro and Keaton Reunion
The pairing of De Niro and Keaton generated palpable excitement among the cast and crew during production. De Niro reflected on filming those intense sequences, noting that it was good, that those were intense scenes, and that before Michael came into it, they were not sure who was going to do it, so they were glad that he did.
De Niro added that it was good, that those were intense scenes, and that before Michael came into it, they were not sure who was going to do it, so they were glad that he did.
Scott emphasized the significance of watching the two work together nearly thirty years after their previous on-screen collaboration in the 1997 film Jackie Brown. De Niro and Keaton brought considerable gravity to their respective roles, with De Niro acting as the cover face and the hook that catches viewers, coming to the field and doing what he does with ease thanks to his talent and years of experience.
Cast Reactions and Working Alongside Cinema Royalty
For co-star Michelle Monaghan, 50, who plays a role alongside Owen Teague, John Carroll Lynch, and Hamish Linklater, sharing screen time with De Niro proved to be a humbling experience. The actress discussed how she and Scott spoke in depth together about sharing their attention, turmoil, and fear regarding the actor.
Monaghan said that they spoke in depth together about it, because they had to share their attention and their turmoil and their fear, noting that this is somebody obviously that they grew up revering and were inspired by their work to go on and pursue a profession in their industry, and that the reality of getting to work with him, whether she was 10, 20 or 50, meant that still nothing could compare to that feeling of being able to meet him, shake his hand and do a scene with him.
Monaghan added that De Niro lived up to his reputation both professionally and personally, stating that he is as kind as he is talented and that he does not disappoint on any level, calling the project a very once-in-a-lifetime, very special experience and noting that she respects him as an artist, as a human, and as an advocate.
