Cinema VinesChris Hansen, the former host of NBC’s controversial series To Catch a Predator, is back in the spotlight as Robert Pattinson takes on the role of the investigative journalist in the upcoming A24 feature Primetime. The film is slated for a theatrical release on September 25, 2026, and promises to revisit Hansen’s storied career of hunting online predators.
Hansen first captured national attention in 2003 when a Dateline segment evolved into a standalone show that aired on NBC until 2007. The program, which partnered with the group Perverted‑Justice, staged sting operations in which actors posed as underage teens to lure adult men. When the men arrived, Hansen would confront them, often saying, “have a seat.” The show drew an average of more than seven million viewers in its final year and became a cultural touchstone, though it also drew criticism and legal challenges.
In 2006, a tragic incident occurred when prosecutor Louis “Bill” Conradt died by suicide during a sting connected to the show. Conradt’s sister later sued NBC for $109 million, a claim that was settled out of court in 2008. That same year, NBC cancelled the series, and Hansen’s contract was not renewed in 2013. He subsequently hosted Killer Instinct on Investigation Discovery and later launched Crime Watch Daily, where he revived his sting‑style format under the banner Hansen vs. Predator.
Hansen has continued his work on the front lines of predator prevention. In 2019 he began a YouTube channel, Have a Seat With Chris Hansen, and in 2022 launched his own streaming service, TruBlu, where he hosts Takedown With Chris Hansen. The 2025 sting operation in Harford County, Maryland, resulted in nine arrests, and one suspect even admitted to fearing he might “see Chris Hansen from the show [To] Catch a Predator there waiting for him,” underscoring the lasting impact of Hansen’s reputation.
Despite his ongoing public service, Hansen has faced legal troubles of his own. In January 2019, he was arrested in Stamford, Connecticut, after issuing bad checks totaling $13,000 to a local business. The incident, reported by People, added a personal dimension to a career long defined by confronting others’ misdeeds.
