Robert Pattinson responds to Chris Hansen’s criticism of ‘Primetime’: ‘I hope he likes the movie’
Hansen has been vocal about his reservations and previously said that Pattinson’s portrayal was “overly dramatic”
Robert Pattinson has responded to Chris Hansen’s criticism of Primetime, the upcoming A24 film in which the actor portrays a fictionalised version of the television host best known for To Catch a Predator.
Pattinson addressed Hansen’s concerns during the Venice Film Festival, where Primetime premiered on September 5, 2026. The film, directed by Lance Oppenheim, is inspired by Hansen’s work on the controversial Dateline NBC series but is not intended to be a direct biopic of the journalist.
Hansen has been vocal about his reservations surrounding the film. He previously said that Pattinson’s portrayal was “overly dramatic”, although he acknowledged that the actor’s impression of him in the trailer was a “pretty good imitation”. Hansen also objected to fictionalised scenes and dialogue that he said did not reflect events from his real life.
Speaking about Hansen’s reaction, Pattinson said he hoped the real-life television host would ultimately appreciate the film.
“I hope he likes the movie,” Pattinson said, according to Variety.
The actor explained that he did not approach the role as an attempt to reproduce Hansen’s life story. Instead, the film uses Hansen and To Catch a Predator as the foundation for a broader story exploring television, sensationalism and the blurred line between journalism and entertainment.
Primetime is based on Luke Dittrich’s 2007 Esquire article Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die, which examined one of the To Catch a Predator stings and the death of Texas assistant district attorney Bill Conradt.
Hansen has said he was not consulted during the production of the film and has questioned why his name, image and likeness were used in a story containing fictionalised elements. He also declined to watch an early screening after objecting to the terms of an agreement he was asked to sign. A person involved with the film said the agreement was a standard non-disclosure agreement used for advance screenings.
The controversy has not stopped Hansen from capitalising on the attention surrounding Primetime. His true-crime streaming service, TruBlu, has purchased advertisements that will run before screenings of the film during its theatrical release.
For Pattinson, the role required extensive preparation, particularly when it came to recreating Hansen’s distinctive voice. The actor said he repeatedly listened to Hansen’s podcast and To Catch a Predator material while practising the voice, describing it as unusually difficult to imitate.
Pattinson also serves as a producer on Primetime, which marks Oppenheim’s narrative feature debut. The film stars Merritt Wever, Matthew Maher, Bokeem Woodbine and Phoebe Bridgers, who makes her acting debut.
Primetime premiered in competition at the 2026 Venice Film Festival and is scheduled to open in US cinemas on September 25, 2026.
