Chris Hansen is considering legal action over A24’s Primetime, starring Robert Pattinson as the former TV host. Here’s what happened and what A24 says.
Chris Hansen is once again at the center of the conversation surrounding Primetime, the upcoming A24 film inspired by his work on To Catch a Predator.
Hansen says he is considering his legal options over the movie, which stars Robert Pattinson as a fictionalized version of the veteran television journalist. He has also criticized the way the project was developed and says he was not consulted during the filmmaking process.
The situation has created an unusual dispute before audiences have even had the chance to see the film.
Why Chris Hansen Is Considering Legal Action
Hansen’s concerns center on the use of his name, image and professional history in Primetime.
According to Hansen, he was not involved in creating the film and only became aware of the project relatively late in production. He has said that he never granted a producer or studio the rights to tell his life story.
The issue became more complicated when Hansen was invited to a private screening of the movie.
Hansen says he refused to sign an agreement presented before the screening because he believed it went beyond a normal confidentiality arrangement and affected his rights. As a result, he left without watching the film.
He has now indicated that he has not ruled out taking legal action.
What A24 Says
A24 has disputed Hansen’s characterization of the situation.
The studio says Primetime did not require Hansen’s permission to tell the story and maintains that the filmmakers followed standard procedures during production.
A24 has also said that Hansen participated in interviews and allowed the filmmakers to shadow him for the project. The studio maintains that he signed a release allowing certain footage to be used.
That leaves two very different interpretations of how the project came together.
Hansen believes the film uses his identity and professional history without his approval, while A24 maintains that the production followed the appropriate process.
Robert Pattinson Plays Chris Hansen
At the center of the controversy is Robert Pattinson, who takes on the role of Hansen in Primetime.
The film is directed by Lance Oppenheim and dramatizes the period when Hansen was working on To Catch a Predator. A24’s official synopsis describes the story as taking place in 2006, when Hansen was attempting to make television history.
Pattinson’s involvement has attracted considerable attention because the actor is taking on a real television figure rather than a completely fictional character.
The rest of the cast includes Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers, Matthew Maher and Bokeem Woodbine.
What Is Primetime About?
Primetime is inspired by the world surrounding To Catch a Predator and the controversial television investigations that made Hansen nationally recognizable.
Rather than presenting itself as a straightforward documentary, the film uses a dramatized narrative to explore the people and circumstances surrounding the television operation.
That distinction is important.
The movie is inspired by real events, but Pattinson is not playing Hansen in a documentary. The story is being presented through a fictionalized dramatic interpretation.
The Controversy Could Give the Movie Even More Attention
The dispute arrives at an interesting moment for Primetime.
A24 is preparing the film for its theatrical release, while Hansen has been using the growing attention around the project to promote his own true-crime work.
He has even purchased advertising space ahead of screenings of the movie to promote his streaming platform, TruBlu.
It is an unusual promotional situation: the real person portrayed by the lead actor is effectively using the movie’s publicity to direct audiences toward his own work.
When Does Primetime Release?
A24 currently lists Primetime for a September 25, 2026 theatrical release. The film is also scheduled to premiere at the Venice Film Festival ahead of its wider theatrical run.
That means the controversy surrounding Hansen and A24 could continue to develop as the movie approaches its festival premiere and theatrical release.
What Happens Next?
For now, Hansen has not announced that he is actually filing a lawsuit.
He has said that he is considering his options and has received legal opinions suggesting he may have a case. Whether that leads to formal legal action remains unknown.
A24, meanwhile, continues to move forward with the film.
That makes Primetime an unusual movie to watch not only for its story, but also for the real-world dispute developing around it.
Robert Pattinson is about to portray Chris Hansen on the big screen.
And before audiences have even seen the performance, the real Chris Hansen is already making sure everyone knows that this isn’t his version of the story.
