The upcoming A24 movie Primetime could be one of the more disturbing entries on the 2026 movie schedule, and it's the latest interesting choice populating Robert Pattinson’s resume. In the movie, he stars as Chris Hansen, former host of To Catch a Predator, the controversial series that ran on NBC from 2004 to 2007. Throughout its run, Hansen collaborated with law enforcement to lure and arrest would-be sexual predators who believed they were meeting up with underage victims. But this new movie is not what you would consider an authorized biopic, which has led to some very public comments about how the journalist feels about it all.
With Hansen airing out his criticism of the project, it’s not surprising that director Lance Oppenheim would have something to say in response, especially when he has a personal connection that sparked all of this in the first place. In 2024, the filmmaker’s wife bought him a recorded message from the former Dateline host as a surprise gift, solidifying his desire to make Primetime, which he feels is almost an adaptation of that Cameo video. But through all of the public criticism, Oppenheim still hopes Hansen sees the film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he said:
It’s the first time I’ve ever thought I could say this — I’m excited for him to ‘have a seat’ and watch the movie in a movie theater, if that’s where he chooses to watch it.
Chris Hansen had previously gotten an opportunity to watch Primetime at a private screening, but the very restrictive agreement he was asked to sign, barring him from taking legal action against A24, deterred him from doing so. He’s claimed that while he did show up to see the film, the studio wanted him to sign away the rights to his name, image, and brand, as well as his legal rights, and he refused to do so. While there are conflicting reports stating that the journalist was actually only asked to sign a standard pre-premiere NDA to prevent spoilers and discussion ahead of the release, director Lance Oppenheim said:
I can’t really speak to that because I wasn’t there when that all happened, but I know — and I hope he knows — that this film is an exploration of what this kind of work does to the people who make it. It’s based on and inspired by the experiences of working inside an extremely dark world 24/7, attempting to do extremely serious journalism, and how that becomes also extremely confusing when you’re tasked with turning it into an entertaining television show.
If you’ve seen an episode of To Catch a Predator, you’ve likely gotten the ick from watching material of that subject matter and wondered if it was just too exploitative. Watching the trailer, while clearly containing another on the list of fascinating and remarkable Robert Pattinson performances, it’s hard to think of another word to describe Primetime than bonkers. It also feels like, no matter how good this film is, it’s going to be uncomfortable to watch, considering the super dark subject matter. It will get especially awkward if any humor gets injected into a story like this.
I honestly have no idea what to expect and am on the fence about the entire thing, but I do understand how the challenge of it all is something that would appeal to The Batman star as he continues to take risks and do the unexpected in his career. Oppenheim just hopes that Chris Hansen will ultimately see the film and said:
I hope, when the time comes, that he sees it — and I’m excited to hear what he has to say about it.
Having just come off the success of The Odyssey, where he plays the villainous Antinous, after the release of Primetime on September 25th, you’ll also be able to see Robert Pattinson in Dune: Part Three on December 18th. It will be interesting to hear the reaction to this fictionalized biopic once it hits theaters, and I’m curious as to whether Chris Hansen will actually give it a fair chance before he weighs in any further.
