Chris Hansen disputes how his career is portrayed in Primetime, Lance Oppenheim’s film in which he is played by Robert Pattinson. The journalist says the work takes significant liberties with the facts and notes that his lawyers are weighing a potential action against A24. No suit has been filed at this stage.
Released in France on September 23, 2026, Primetime draws on the era when Chris Hansen hosted the To Catch a Predator segments for NBC's Dateline NBC. Those sting operations put men suspected of arranging a meeting with a minor in front of the cameras.
After screening the film, Hansen says he can identify only a handful of public touchpoints from his career — including his name, several catchphrases tied to the show, and a real case referenced in the story. He, however, accuses the movie of largely reimagining the character’s motivations, personal relationships, and timeline.
Primetime isn’t framed as a documentary. Directed by Lance Oppenheim from a script by Ajon Singh, the film leans on a real figure and the arc of a TV program to craft a fiction about the dynamics between investigative journalism, spectacle, and fame.
This distinction does not stop Chris Hansen from arguing that his name and likeness were used without his consent. He says he’s weighing possible remedies with his lawyers, but it’s important not to present this preliminary step as a lawsuit already filed.
Robert Pattinson is joined by Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers, Matthew Maher, and Bokeem Woodbine in the cast. The film is distributed in France by Metropolitan FilmExport.
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