Long before A24 went anywhere near his life story, Chris Hansen had already pictured who should play him on screen. While Robert Pattinson is currently playing him, Hansen wanted another actor to play him years ago. Speaking on the Serialously with Annie Elise podcast, the former To Catch a Predator host revealed that he once wrote his own script drawn from his years fronting Dateline NBC’s sting operations.
Hansen said he thought the Demolition Man and The Thomas Crown Affair actor Denis Leary would be a great pick. He shared, “Years ago, I had crafted a script and thought Denis Leary would be a good guy to play me — depending on the age of it all.”
Leary has the delivery for it, but the movie with him should have been made years ago. Hansen complained that he wasn’t consulted on the casting in Primetime. And he has thoughts about Pattinson’s portrayal.
Chris Hansen Questions Motive Behind Robert Pattinson’s Primetime
Chris Hansen shared that he was not consulted while Primetime was being developed or shot. The outreach came later, once the film already existed, and it arrived as an invitation to help rather than a request for permission. He was not impressed by the timing, telling the podcast his suspicion is that “they used my name because it helps in a commercial enterprise.”
His reaction to the casting was more measured than hostile. Hansen acknowledged that Robert Pattinson is a popular actor and Lance Oppenheim a well-regarded filmmaker. He shared that the footage looks dramatic. But he circled back to the same doubt, asking plainly what Hollywood’s motive is here. He shared:
It looks dramatic. It looks very dramatic. I know [Robert Pattinson] is a popular actor, and I know the director [Lance Oppenheim] is a popular guy. I also have some questions: What’s Hollywood’s motive here?” he said, adding plainly, “I didn’t get to choose my own guy.
To its credit, A24 has arranged a private screening for Hansen ahead of the wider release. He has been careful not to condemn the movie before watching it. So, we are likely to get more of his opinion after the movie’s release.
Robert Pattinson Delivers a Magnetic Performance in Primetime Trailer
Robert Pattinson in a still from Primetime | Credits: A24
A24 dropped the full trailer for Primetime, and it is not an easy watch. Pattinson has the voice down cold, with the flat delivery, the folder in hand, and the line that eventually became a meme: “Why don’t you have a seat right there?” But the trailer hints at something far darker underneath the impression.
The A24 adaptation of the original events takes a satirical turn, showing a man who is not doing a job, but rather a man who has started to enjoy the hunt. Fresh off playing Antinous in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Pattinson may have finally found the role that puts him in the Best Actor conversation.
The Twilight actor is also long overdue for a major recognition, with a career built on bold and strange choices. The risk is just as clear, as the subject matter is genuinely uncomfortable. It turns a real-life incident into a horror story that may split the room. A September release also means a long campaign to sustain.
What do you think of Hansen’s comments on Pattinson’s Primetime? Let us know in the comments.
The movie will be released in theaters on September 25, 2026.
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