‘Primetime’ Trailer: Robert Pattinson Is Chris Hansen in Icy Retelling of the ‘To Catch a Predator’ Story
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- A24 released the full "Primetime" trailer on August 6, following an initial teaser in May, ahead of the film's world premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in September.
- Robert Pattinson stars as Chris Hansen, with Anna Faris cast as Hansen's wife Mary Joan; Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, and Phoebe Bridgers round out the supporting cast.
- Lance Oppenheim directs "Primetime" — his narrative feature debut — from a script by Ajon Singh, after building his reputation on documentaries including "Some Kind of Heaven," "Spermworld," and HBO's "Ren Faire."
- A24 will release the film theatrically on September 25 after its Venice main competition bow, positioning the project squarely in awards-season territory.
- "Primetime" is the second film in two years to tackle the rise and fall of "To Catch a Predator," following David Osit's documentary "Predators," which premiered at Sundance and was named to IndieWire's 25 best films of the year list.
- The original NBC "Dateline" segment ran for just 20 episodes before its 2008 cancellation, after the program faced a $105 million lawsuit over the suicide of a man featured on the show.
- Pattinson's packed 2026 slate also includes a leading role in A24's "The Drama," a villain turn in "The Odyssey," and "Dune Part 3" later this fall.
Why it matters: A24 is placing a prestige drama about the ethically fraught "To Catch a Predator" saga directly into Venice main competition, betting that Oppenheim's leap from documentaries to narrative and Pattinson's star wattage can convert a grim cable-news legacy into awards-season capital. With a September 25 theatrical date locked, the studio is signaling confidence in a movie built from material whose real-world cancellation stemmed from a $105 million wrongful-death lawsuit.
