Cinema VinesBritish actor Robert Pattinson is set to expand his 2026 box‑office momentum by taking on a chilling role in the thriller Primetime, which opened at the Venice Film Festival this Saturday. The film follows the controversial NBC reality series To Catch a Predator, where presenter Chris Hansen lured alleged paedophiles into staged encounters and exposed them on live television between 2004 and 2007.
Pattinson, who is already scheduled to appear in the third Dune installment later this year, stars as the eponymous TV host in Primetime. It is his first feature as a producer, a role he is handling through his own company, Icki Eneo Arlo, and the film is being produced by the independent U.S. studio A24. The actor’s performance has been praised for its unsettling authenticity, with Hansen himself noting in a recent Entertainment Tonight interview that Pattinson’s imitation of him is “pretty good” in the trailer, though he also hinted at possible legal action over the portrayal.
The Venice premiere came as part of the festival’s main competition, a slate that has attracted a mix of high‑profile dramas, dark comedies and documentaries. Critics have singled out Primetime as a “probing, darkly surreal immersion into the mid‑aughts,” and Pattinson’s transformation has been described as “eerie.” The film also benefits from the star’s growing bankability, following successful releases this year such as The Drama with Zendaya and the blockbuster The Odyssey, where he played the villainous Antinous.
Other highlights of the festival include Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy Wild Horse Nine, a documentary on Elon Musk by Oscar‑winner Alex Gibney, and the much‑anticipated reunion tour of Oasis, with Noel and Liam Gallagher expected to attend the opening night. The Israeli‑produced feature NAZA is also slated for a powerful screening later in the week, tackling the sensitive subject of civilian casualties in Gaza.
With its blend of provocative subject matter, strong performances and a notable production team, Primetime is poised to be a key conversation piece as the Venice Film Festival concludes on September 12.
