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The Heart-Pounding Ending Of ‘Primetime,’ Explained

On Friday, September 25, 2026, Primetime premiered in theaters with Robert Pattinson portraying Chris Hansen, the former Dateline NBC host who branded the dramatization an insult to his work on To Catch a Predator.
The filmmakers never consulted Hansen despite using his name and likeness throughout production. When A24 offered him an early screening on September 23, he declined after the distributor requested he sign a nondisclosure agreement.
Pattinson's portrayal drew specific criticism from Hansen, who told Entertainment Tonight the actor was "saying things I never said and doing things I never did." Hansen called the performance overly dramatic and objected most to scenes depicting him as an aloof father.
Despite criticizing the film, Hansen bought pre-show ads for his true crime platform TruBlu before Primetime screenings. He later revealed on his Have a Seat podcast that the film was fine after describing it as 98 percent pure fiction.
At the Venice Film Festival, Pattinson defended his portrayal, calling Hansen "a serious news reporter" transformed into entertainment. Critics noted the irony of Hansen's moral crusade becoming prestige entertainment for audiences who revere him.

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