Robert Pattinson says he never planned to build a movie around the former TV host. The script felt “electrifying,” and the character became a source of inspiration for the people making it.
The man at the center of the story, Chris Hansen, tried to attend a private screening in August, then declined an NDA he said would restrict rights tied to his name, image, brand and possible legal claims. A24 sources described it as a standard agreement for preview audiences.
He says he wasn’t meaningfully consulted and has called the film “totally made up.” The movie fictionalizes the 2004 to 2007 To Catch a Predator era as a psychological thriller about the host, the sting operations and the television ratings machinery around them.
Pattinson first joined as a producer, then took the lead after studying hours of footage and the host’s podcast. He called imitating the distinctive voice “incredibly difficult.”
Hansen has called the trailer performance a “pretty good imitation” and said his wife and family agreed.
Primetime is in theaters September 25.
