The first trailer for Primetime arrived August 6, showing Robert Pattinson in a close-cut suit as Chris Hansen, the host who turned "To Catch a Predator" into a television institution. A24 distributes. Lance Oppenheim directs, making his narrative feature debut after documentaries including Some Kind of Heaven and HBO's Ren Faire.
The film is based on Luke Dittrich's article "Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die" and follows Hansen during the origins of NBC's predator-catching series, which debuted on Dateline in 2004. The screenplay is by Ajon Singh. Cinematography by David Bolen, score by Ari Balouzian. Oppenheim filmed in New Orleans in early 2025 under the working title "Bluefin Tuna."
The cast runs deep. Merritt Wever plays Hansen's producer. Anna Faris plays Mary Joan Hansen. Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers, Bokeem Woodbine, Jonathan Lipnicki, Creed Bratton, and Tony Revolori appear in supporting roles. Jeff Zucker plays himself. Among the producers: Ari Aster, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, and Pattinson himself.
Primetime premieres at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 5, competing for the Golden Lion. The film runs 107 minutes and opens in U.S. theaters on September 25.
