Robert Pattinson hunts predators as Chris Hansen in A24's Primetime trailer

Trailer release

A24 released the full trailer for "Primetime" on August 6, 2026, offering the first extended look at Robert Pattinson's portrayal of Chris Hansen, host of NBC's controversial reality series "To Catch a Predator." The film, directed by documentary filmmaker Lance Oppenheim in his first fiction feature, is produced by A24 and counts Ari Aster among its producers. Portuguese outlet SAPO describes it as a strong Oscar candidate. It is scheduled to premiere in competition at the 83rd Venice Film Festival in September 2026, competing for the Golden Lion, before reaching US theaters on September 25. Releases follow in France on September 23 and Portugal on October 8.

The trailer runs just over two minutes and introduces Pattinson's Hansen with a distinctive voice and mannerisms, a bulging forehead vein and an unflattering but compelling haircut. Former NBCUniversal chief Jeff Zucker appears as himself, delivering a backhanded compliment to Hansen.

“I don't really like your show, but America loves it. So I'm going to move you to primetime.”

Afterward, Hansen is shown jumping in a network hallway, exclaiming, "We're gonna be bigger than Lost!"

Cast and characters

The ensemble includes Emmy winner Merritt Wever as Hansen's producer, Skyler Gisondo as an actor hired to play a 13-year-old boy in sting operations, and musician Phoebe Bridgers in her acting debut as a member of the Perverted Justice watchdog team. Anna Faris plays Hansen's wife, with additional roles for Matthew Maher, Bokeem Woodbine, Creed Bratton of "The Office," and Sean Bridgers. In one scene from the trailer, Pattinson's Hansen tells Gisondo's character:

“What you're doing is more than acting. You're cleansing the world of an ancient evil.”

The real "To Catch a Predator"

"To Catch a Predator" began in 2004 as a segment on the US magazine show "Dateline NBC" before being spun off into its own series, running until 2007. The program worked with the watchdog group Perverted Justice, whose members posed as minors online to lure men seeking sexual encounters with children to a house filled with hidden cameras, where Hansen, a camera team and police awaited them. The show became a ratings juggernaut but drew intense controversy over methods that critics said bordered on entrapment and sensationalism. Charlie Brooker, later creator of "Black Mirror," offered a blunt assessment:

“When a TV show makes you feel sorry for potential child rapists, you know it's doing something wrong.”

The program was canceled in 2008 after the suicide of Bill Conradt, a 56-year-old assistant district attorney in Texas, in November 2006. Conradt had been caught exchanging sexual messages and photos with someone posing as a 13-year-old boy. He shot himself as police and NBC's cameras entered his home, an event that the film's official synopsis suggests is central to its narrative. The show was also the subject of David Osit's documentary "Predators," released last year, which featured an interview with Hansen reflecting on his role.

Hansen's reaction

Chris Hansen has spoken little about the film. In a May exchange with newscaster Jesse Weber on "News Nation," Hansen asked:

“[Pattinson's] an actor, right? Young, talented guy?”

When Weber told Hansen the actor sounded like him and asked whether Hansen had any working relationship with the production, the conversation was cut off before Hansen could finish his answer.