Netflix’s ‘Allen’ Release Date, Trailer, Cast and Plot

Netflix will release the live action science fiction comedy ‘Allen’ globally, and the film marks the first move into live action for Ludo Studio, the team behind the animated series ‘Bluey’. The studio is based in Brisbane, and Netflix has described the project as an Aussie family movie. The streamer has now released a full trailer, a cast list and a confirmed premiere date.

With those details public, the picture of the Netflix ‘Allen’ project is much clearer. The story is set in a sun-drenched Queensland coastal town and follows two best friends who reunite after decades apart, with a major extraterrestrial twist. Here is what is known about the film before it arrives.

‘Allen’ Release Date on Netflix

Netflix has confirmed that ‘Allen’ will premiere globally on Thursday, November 12. The film is a Ludo Studio production and follows the success of ‘Bluey’, which gives the studio its first feature credit.

The film joins a growing list of Australian titles on the service, including ‘Boy Swallows Universe’, ‘Territory’, ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’, ‘Son of a Donkey’ and the final season of ‘Heartbreak High’. That context matters because it shows how Netflix is positioning local productions as a regular part of its slate.

There are currently no confirmed details regarding a theatrical release, so Netflix subscribers appear to be the intended audience from the premiere onward. A special screening featuring cast and crew was also planned in Brisbane ahead of the streaming debut.

The ‘Allen’ Trailer

Netflix released the official trailer on October 28 through its YouTube channel. The footage reveals the secret behind the title, which is that Allen is a pint-sized alien.

Home video flashbacks show a young Petey befriending a big-eyed, snack-loving extraterrestrial before the two are separated. As an adult, Petey works a dead-end shop job and broadcasts keyboard melodies into deep space until a giant orb lands on the beach. The early scenes lean on warmth and comedy, which fits the family framing Netflix has used.

The tone shifts as the trailer continues. Petey’s friends warn that Allen did not travel across the galaxy just to hang out, and chaos spreads through the town with overturned burning cars, mysterious energy beams and police search dogs. Italian outlet Cinefilos noted that Steven Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment are not involved and that the trailer suggests a more menacing narrative direction.

Some viewers may be reminded of ‘Paul’, the alien comedy with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The comparison is useful, though the Queensland setting gives the film its own character.

‘Allen’ Cast and Characters

T.J. Power leads the cast as Petey, the man who never moved on from his childhood friendship. Charlotte Nicdao plays Carly, Josh Helman plays Jaden and Emily Barclay plays Sarah. Together they form the group of friends who urge Petey to grow up.

Benedict Hardie appears as Rory and Elijah Tamati appears as Cameron. The wider ensemble also includes Chaydon Jay as Roy and Kaipo Heke as Nahuel, while Caitlin Niemotko plays young Carly and Edward O’Sullivan plays young Petey.

Details about the title character were kept tightly under wraps before the trailer, which confirmed that Allen is a computer generated creature. Several cast members bring recognizable credits, including Nicdao from ‘Mythic Quest’, Barclay from ‘Babyteeth’ and Hardie from ‘Upgrade’.

‘Allen’ Plot and Production

Netflix’s official logline says that twenty years after Petey lost the best friend he ever had, Allen has come back. A press release cited by The Futon Critic indicates that Allen carries a secret large enough to change the world, which forces Petey to confront his past and help save the planet.

Daley Pearson and Jeffrey Walker co-direct from a screenplay by Pearson and Sophie Miller. Pearson has said the story is about love, family and the childhood moments that shape adults, and that he made it in the town where he grew up. That personal connection helps explain the sincerity in the early scenes of the trailer.

Principal photography began in July 2025 and was based at Screen Queensland Studios in Brisbane, with location shooting across the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. The production was supported by the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy.

Netflix executives have described the film as an unusual package that deals with the move from childhood into adulthood. For anyone who grew up loving stories about a lost alien friend, does the darker turn in the trailer suit the Netflix ‘Allen’ story, or would you have preferred the gentler reunion its early scenes promise?