Robert Pattinson Steps Into One of Television’s Most Uncomfortable Legacies
The brand-sparkling-new official trailer for A24’s Primetime has arrived, with Robert Pattinson stepping into a dramatized version of Chris Hansen during the rise of To Catch a Predator.
Set in 2006, the psychological crime drama follows Hansen as he pushes to make television history through the controversial sting-operation format that turned Dateline NBC into must-watch—and deeply uncomfortable—primetime television.
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Primetime marks the narrative feature debut of director Lance Oppenheim, with a screenplay by Ajon Singh. The cast also includes Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Matthew Maher, Bokeem Woodbine, Anna Faris and Phoebe Bridgers.
Rather than presenting Hansen’s story as a straightforward biopic, the film appears to be leaning into the blur between public service, spectacle and television ambition. That tension was always baked into To Catch a Predator: the investigations were real, but so was the machinery turning them into appointment viewing.
The film is inspired by journalist Luke Dittrich’s 2007 Esquire article “Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die,” which examined the darker consequences surrounding one of the program’s Texas investigations. That history gives Primetime a much sharper edge than a simple recreation of Hansen’s most famous confrontations.
A24 has set September 25, 2026 for the theatrical release. Before that, Primetime is scheduled to premiere in competition at the Venice International Film Festival.
Watch Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen in the Primetime Official Trailer
A24’s official trailer previews Lance Oppenheim’s 2006-set crime drama ahead of its September 25 theatrical release.
Source: A24 / official trailer; A24 / Primetime.
