Robert Pattinson Addresses Chris Hansen's 'Primetime' Criticism — SkimNews
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- Robert Pattinson responded at Saturday's Venice press conference to Chris Hansen's criticism of "Primetime," saying he hopes "the amount of inspiration his character has given a lot of people for years is some kind of compliment."
- Chris Hansen declined to sign A24's standard NDA and hasn't seen the film, but called Pattinson's portrayal "overly dramatic" based on the trailer, though his family reportedly thinks it's "a pretty good imitation."
- "Primetime," directed by Lance Oppenheim in his narrative feature debut and loosely based on a 2007 Esquire article, dramatizes Hansen's "To Catch a Predator," which ended in 2008 after backlash over its methods.
- Phoebe Bridgers makes her acting debut in the film as a decoy, with Pattinson calling her "unbelievable"; she described the filming process as "super intimidating."
- Pattinson is filming "The Batman: Part II" in London between this year's releases "The Drama" and Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey," and joked he can hear "a little Chris Hansen" in "The Odyssey" because the projects were filmed "literally hours apart."
Why it matters: The standoff underscores a growing friction between prestige filmmakers and the real-world subjects they adapt: Hansen refused cooperation over a standard NDA, yet A24 premiered the film at Venice anyway, giving the controversy global exposure at the moment awards-season positioning matters most for the studio.
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