Chris Hansen has not seen Primetime, and has no plans to sign anything in order to do so. But following the news out of the film’s Venice Film Festival premiere, the former NBC correspondent has read enough about Robert Pattinson‘s performance and the film’s fictionalized depiction of his work to know that he objects.
Directed by Lance Oppenheim in his narrative feature debut — who’s also grabbing headlines for co-directing with Nathan Fielder the Elizabeth Holmes doc You Can See Everything — and written by Ajon Singh, Primetime dramatizes the 2006 boom year of Dateline NBC‘s To Catch a Predator, when Hansen’s hidden-camera stings became a ratings phenomenon and, eventually, a legal liability.
Pattinson, who also produces Primetime, plays a version of Hansen consumed by the segment’s success and hungry for a primetime slot; Merritt Wever plays his producer; Skyler Gisondo and Phoebe Bridgers play decoys; and former NBC chief Jeff Zucker appears as himself.
The film premiered in competition at Venice on Sept. 5 to a roughly eight-minute standing ovation. Pattinson emerged with strong notices and early Oscar talk, while reviews of the film itself were more mixed. A24 opens it in select theaters Sept. 25 before expanding in October.
