Netflix has released the first full trailer for Allen, a new sci-fi comedy-drama about a man named Petey whose childhood best friend was an alien. That friend, Allen, disappeared without a goodbye 20 years ago. Now Allen is back on Earth, and the reason for his return is far more complicated and dangerous than Petey ever imagined.
The film comes from Ludo Studio, the Australian company behind the global hit children’s series Bluey, and it marks the studio’s first locally produced live-action feature. Allen premieres globally on Netflix on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
What Is Netflix’s Allen About?
The story centers on Petey, played by T.J. Power. As a boy growing up in Queensland, Australia, Petey formed an unforgettable bond with an alien he named Allen. Then Allen vanished, leaving Petey without a proper goodbye. Two decades later, Petey is an adult working as a grocery clerk, but he has never moved on from the extraordinary friendship that shaped his childhood. He still sends signals into space, hoping his old friend will hear him and come back.
Netflix’s official synopsis explains the setup in plain terms: “20 years after his encounter with an alien, Petey never moved on. Now his old friend has returned, and the reason why is complicated — and unexpected.”
The official trailer makes one thing clear: Allen’s return is not a simple happy reunion. The alien carries a secret “big enough to change the world,” according to the film’s released synopsis. Petey will have to finally grow up if he is going to help save it.
Who Stars in Allen?
T.J. Power leads the cast as adult Petey. Power is known to Australian audiences for his work on the series Offspring. Edward A. O’Sullivan plays a younger version of Petey in childhood flashbacks.
The supporting cast includes Charlotte Nicdao as Carly, Josh Helman as Jaden, Emily Barclay as Sarah, and Benedict Hardie as Rory. Additional cast members are Kaipo Heke, Chaydon Jay, and Danny Kim.
Daley Pearson created the film and co-directed it with Jeffrey Walker. Pearson also wrote the screenplay with Sophie Miller. Pearson’s previous credits include the horror hit Talk to Me and the animated series The Strange Chores. Walker has directed series such as Apple Cider Vinegar and The Artful Dodger.
The Trailer’s Big Secret
The Allen trailer opens with adult Petey sending a signal via satellite, desperately hoping Allen will return. He rewatches old tapes of his childhood adventures with the alien. When his family asks why he cannot move on and grow up, Petey replies: “Why? The best thing that ever happened to me already happened.” He then screams at the sky: “Why won’t you come back?”
Allen does come back, arriving in a glowing spaceship. The first part of the reunion looks light and fun. The two friends play amusement park games and eat junk food. Then the tone shifts sharply. Petey collapses. A blinding white light fills the sky. The alien says in a broken voice: “Allen ruin Peedee’s life.” Photos of the two friends burn. Petey asks: “How could you do this to me?”
The trailer does not reveal what Allen’s secret actually is. What it does show is that the film is playing with something darker than a simple friendly alien story. The secret could be devastating and world-changing, or it could be something else entirely.
From Bluey to Live-Action: Ludo Studio’s New Chapter
Ludo Studio is based in Brisbane, Australia, and is best known for Bluey, the animated children’s series that became a global phenomenon and won both Emmy and BAFTA awards. Allen is the studio’s first locally produced live-action feature film. The company had previously worked in live-action with the Netflix crime drama Thou Shalt Not Steal.
Production took place across Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The Queensland coastal setting was drawn from Pearson’s own upbringing. The production received support from the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy and its Post, Digital and Visual Effects Incentive.
Pearson has spoken about the personal roots of the story. “Allen is really a story about love, family and all those big and small moments from childhood that end up shaping who we are when we grow up,” he said when production was first announced. He added: “Getting the opportunity to make this story in this part of the world – in the town where I grew up in, inspired by the friends and family I grew up with – is a dream. We’re creating Allen for families to watch together.”
When Does Allen Release on Netflix?
Allen premieres globally on Netflix on Thursday, November 12, 2026. The release is a worldwide one, meaning viewers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, and other Netflix territories will be able to stream the film on the same date.
The film is rated TV-14 on Netflix and is listed under the drama genre on the platform’s official page. Its runtime has not been confirmed in the materials released so far.
What Fans Are Saying About Allen
Online reactions to the Allen trailer have been a mix of curiosity, confusion, and jokes. The film’s title has led some viewers to expect a new entry in the Alien franchise. The teaser’s clever use of the name Allen caught some people off guard. One user comment noted that the title trick had “trapped” some internet users who clicked expecting a new Alien project.
On forums, some viewers compared the premise to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and the 1988 film Mac and Me. One comment described the concept as “basically E.T. meets Mac & Me” and added: “what if the alien returned to reunite with his childhood friend but the kid is now all grown up”. Another reaction was blunt: “Thanks, I hate it.” A different user wrote: “Looks cute. Won’t watch but looks cute.”
The comparison to E.T. is one that several outlets have noted. ScreenRant observed that the premise of a human’s life-changing alien friend from childhood returning to Earth sounds like a hypothetical sequel to Steven Spielberg’s 1982 classic. The report also noted that neither Spielberg nor Amblin is involved in Allen.
A Different Kind of Alien Story
Allen is not an invasion movie in the traditional sense. The trailer’s tension comes from a personal betrayal rather than a large-scale alien attack. Petey’s childhood friend comes back, but the return brings pain instead of closure. The alien itself looks nothing like E.T. ScreenRant described Allen’s design as more reminiscent of Paul from the 2011 Simon Pegg and Nick Frost film, with some visual similarities to Dobby from the Harry Potter series.
The film’s core relationship is between a man who never grew up and an alien who left without explanation. The trailer suggests that the answer to why Allen left, and why he came back, is the engine of the story.
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Allen arrives on Netflix on November 12, 2026, starring T.J. Power, Charlotte Nicdao, Josh Helman, Emily Barclay, and Benedict Hardie. The film is directed by Daley Pearson and Jeffrey Walker, written by Pearson and Sophie Miller, and produced by Ludo Studio.
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