Cinema VinesAt the 2024 Venice Film Festival, Robert Pattinson surprised audiences by stepping into the shoes of former NBC Dateline host Chris Hansen in the new film “Primetime.” The 40‑year‑old English actor, who had originally joined the project as a producer, confessed that he had no intention of playing Hansen but found the role “irresistible” once he began to inhabit it. “I was trying to mold the part to be the best part to play for somebody else, and then I got more and more attached to it,” Pattinson told reporters on Saturday, after the film’s world premiere drew a nine‑minute standing ovation from the festival crowd.
“Primetime” follows the real‑life story of a 2006 sting operation that led to the death of Texas assistant district attorney Bill Conradt, a case that was exposed on the show “To Catch a Predator.” The script, written by Ajon Singh, is based on journalist Luke Dittrich’s Esquire article “Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die.” The film explores the tangled ambitions of a journalistic crusader, a TV producer, and a Hollywood dreamer, all converging in a single, tense moment of crisis, according to director Lance Oppenheim.
Oppenheim, whose prior experience was limited to documentaries, was drawn to the project after learning about Hansen’s persona. He said the idea “clicked into place” when his wife sent him a Cameo video of Hansen performing as himself. “To me this was a great character, a great subject,” Oppenheim said. He also noted that Pattinson’s attachment to the role helped persuade the team to bring him on as director.
Hansen himself was not involved in the film’s production and has publicly expressed skepticism about the portrayal. He has said he would have preferred Denis Leary to play him and questioned the filmmakers’ motives. Hansen was invited to view the movie before the festival but objected to the non‑disclosure agreement he was asked to sign. Rumors also suggest he has purchased advertising to appear in front of the film’s theatrical screenings beginning September 25.
The movie also marks the acting debut of singer Phoebe Bridgers, who admitted the experience was intimidating. “It was certainly super intimidating,” Bridgers said. “At first when Lance asked me I was like, ‘no way dude.’”
Pattinson added that Hansen’s magnetic presence is a key reason the show remains relevant two decades later. “The more you watch the show, there’s something magnetic about his presence,” he said. “Something he’s doing is the reason why people are still talking about that show 20 years later.”
