Hansen Weighs In on Pattinson's Performance
Chris Hansen has a mixed verdict on Robert Pattinson's portrayal of him in A24's upcoming drama-thriller Primetime: technically impressive, but not quite the man himself.
Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Hansen — the former host of Dateline NBC's To Catch a Predator — offered a measured assessment of what he's seen of Pattinson's performance in the trailer. "Obviously he has practiced imitating me, and while I think it's overly dramatic, I think there is a pretty good imitation there in the trailer," Hansen said [1]. He acknowledged, however, that his own opinion may not be the most reliable measure. "It's not so much what I think; it's what other people think. And you know, my wife [and] my family seem to think it's a pretty good imitation," he added [2].
The film chronicles Hansen's years as the face of To Catch a Predator, the Dateline NBC franchise that became a cultural flashpoint for its sting operations targeting suspected child predators. Pattinson, best known for his roles in The Batman and the Twilight franchise, takes on the lead role in what A24 is billing as a drama-thriller inspired by real events.
"Things I Never Said"
Despite the partial praise, Hansen was quick to draw a line between Pattinson's fictional version of him and reality. "He's saying things I never said and doing things I never did, and that's not who I am. I'm a nice guy, except when it comes to criminals and predators," Hansen said [1]. He urged audiences to keep the film's origins in mind: "I think people should remember that it is a work of fiction, only based on real-life events" [2].
Representatives for Pattinson did not respond to requests for comment from either Variety or The Hollywood Reporter at the time of publication [1][2].
A Screening That Never Happened
Hansen's commentary arrives against the backdrop of a more contentious dispute with A24 itself. He recently told Fox News' Jesse Watters Primetime that he traveled to A24's offices for a private screening of the film — only to be turned away over a legal document he refused to sign.
"The lawyers at A24 wanted me to sign away my rights to my name, image and brand, essentially, as well as any potential legal rights that would come out of the movie," Hansen claimed [1]. "I couldn't sign that, so they didn't show me the film. I went all the way over there. … But who's going to sign something like that?" [2]
A24's account of the incident differs significantly. A source close to the studio told Variety that Hansen was presented with a standard non-disclosure agreement that every preview audience member is required to sign for any unreleased project — not a sweeping rights waiver [1]. The competing characterizations of the same document leave the full picture unresolved.
Hansen Buys His Own Ads
Shut out of the screening and uninvolved in the film's production, Hansen has nonetheless found a way to insert himself into Primetime's theatrical rollout. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hansen purchased pre-show advertising on every screen showing the film, using the spots to direct moviegoers to TruBlu, his streaming network dedicated to predator investigations [2]. The move is an unusual end-run around a project he has no formal relationship with — turning the film's own audience into a potential subscriber base for his independent media operation.
The advertising gambit underscores a broader tension: Primetime is built around Hansen's public identity and the cultural legacy of To Catch a Predator, yet Hansen himself has been kept at arm's length from the production. Whether that distance was A24's choice, Hansen's, or some combination of both remains unclear from the available accounts.
What to Watch
Primetime is an A24 production, and the studio has not publicly commented on the substance of Hansen's claims beyond the single source response to Variety. As the film approaches release, several threads are worth tracking: whether Hansen pursues any legal action related to his name and likeness, how audiences and critics respond to Pattinson's portrayal of a still-living public figure, and whether the pre-show ad campaign translates into meaningful growth for TruBlu. Hansen's willingness to keep speaking publicly — and to spend money on advertising around a film he hasn't seen — suggests this dispute is unlikely to quiet down before opening night.