Allen, the first feature film from Bluey studio Ludo, is streaming on Netflix now. It's a live-action alien comedy about a grown man whose childhood alien best friend comes back 20 years later.
The studio behind Bluey has a new movie out, and nobody in it is a dog.
Allen, a live-action sci-fi comedy from Brisbane's Ludo Studio, premiered worldwide on Netflix Thursday, Nov. 12. It's Ludo's first feature film and its first live-action feature, What's on Netflix reported.
The setup sounds a little like E.T. with a hangover. Netflix's logline reads, "Twenty years after Petey lost the best friend he ever had, Allen's back."
Ludo co-founder Daley Pearson created it and co-directed with Jeffrey Walker. "We're creating Allen for families to watch together," Pearson said when Netflix announced the film.
What is Allen on Netflix about?
Petey, played by T.J. Power, is a Queensland guy who never quite moved on from childhood. When he was a kid, his best friend was an alien named Allen. Then Allen vanished without saying goodbye.
Twenty years later, a giant orb that looks like a disco ball crash-lands on a Queensland beach. Allen is back, and he has a secret that could change the world, Variety Australia reported. Petey has to deal with his past and finally grow up to help.
The movie opens in the 1990s, and it leans hard into nostalgia. The Nightly counted Jenga, Tazos, yo-yos and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Land Before Time figures in the opening scenes. Pearson told the paper that clearing the rights for all those toys was a big job for the lawyers.
What does Allen the alien look like?
Allen is a CGI creature with a spiky, bulbous head, a small body, big eyes and three fingers on each oversized hand.
Pearson told The Nightly the design pulls from E.T., the see-through skin of a green tree frog and a gecko's smile. He admitted some people find Allen a little scary-looking. The plan, he said, is for the story to make you love him anyway.
Who is in the Allen cast?
T.J. Power as Petey
Edward O'Sullivan as young Petey
Charlotte Nicdao as Carly
Caitlin Niemotko as young Carly
Josh Helman as Jaden
Emily Barclay as Sarah
Benedict Hardie as Rory
Chaydon Jay as Roy
Kaipo Heke as Nahuel
Pearson co-wrote the script with Sophie Miller. Ludo's Sam Moor produced it with Ross Allsop. The movie was shot in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast starting in July 2025.
Is Allen OK for kids?
That depends on the kid. Pearson says it's for families, but it's not Bluey.
Netflix's trailer includes burning, overturned cars and police search dogs, which What's on Netflix flagged as possibly intense for little ones. The grown-up characters also deal with grief and regret. The parents guide site Age Rating Juju lists Allen as TV-14 on Netflix and says it runs about 1 hour 45 minutes, with some coarse language and Aussie slang.
Our take: check the rating on Netflix's title page before movie night, and watch the trailer with your kids first. Tweens who like E.T. and Stranger Things will probably be fine. Bluey's preschool fans can sit this one out.
How is Allen connected to Bluey?
Same studio, different vibe. Ludo Studio produces Bluey, the Emmy-nominated, BAFTA-winning cartoon created by Joe Brumm. Pearson and Charlie Aspinwall co-founded Ludo, and both are executive producers on Allen. Ludo's earlier live-action work includes the Netflix crime drama Thou Shalt Not Steal.
In the U.S., Bluey streams on Disney+ and airs on Disney Junior. Disney is also releasing Bluey: The Movie in theaters on Aug. 6, 2027, as we reported last year.
So Allen is a Netflix movie from a studio that's very much in Disney's orbit. Your Netflix queue and your Disney+ queue just got a little closer.
Where was Allen filmed?
In Queensland, Australia, which is also Bluey country. The story is set in a coastal town inspired by the area where Pearson grew up. He said the film is drawn from his childhood friends and family.
"Allen is really a story about love, family" and childhood moments, Pearson said, per What's on Netflix.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
What's on Netflix (Oct. 16 and Oct. 27, 2026), release date, cast, crew, logline, filming details, Pearson quotes and trailer notes
Variety Australia (Oct. 27, 2026), the premise and Ludo Studio background
The Nightly (Nov. 9, 2026), the 1990s references and Allen's creature design
Age Rating Juju (Nov. 7, 2026), the TV-14 rating and runtime
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