Robert Pattinson-led "Primetime" earns $19.2 million opening, A24 reports solid profit prospects
"Primetime," starring Robert Pattinson, opened with $19.2 million in the United States, marking A24's third-best debut and positioning the low-budget thriller for profitability.
The true-crime thriller "Primetime," featuring Robert Pattinson as former Dateline NBC journalist Chris Hansen, earned $19.2 million from 2,863 North American theaters in its opening weekend. The film placed fourth in the domestic box-office rankings, behind Disney’s "Avengers: Endgame Encore," Sony’s "Resident Evil" reboot and Paramount’s "The Heart of the Beast," but its $15 million production budget suggests a strong likelihood of theatrical profit.
The debut represents A24’s third-largest opening weekend, trailing only the summer sleeper "Backrooms" and Alex Garland’s dystopian "Civil War," and surpasses the studio’s earlier release "Marty Supreme." Critics have responded positively, with the film holding an 87 % rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audience exit polls gave it a mixed "B" grade on CinemaScore.
"Considering the tough subject material, the audience score is good," said David A. Gross, publisher of the box-office newsletter FranchiseRe.
PostTrak data indicated that more than three-quarters of ticket buyers cited Pattinson as their primary reason for seeing the movie, and 69 % of the opening-week audience was under 30, reflecting strong interest from Gen Z viewers. A24’s marketing emphasized social-media outreach, and the film also attracted attention after real-life Chris Hansen publicly criticized its portrayal of him.
The movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it received a seven-minute standing ovation and generated positive word-of-mouth ahead of its U.S. release. Director Lance Oppenheim’s work on the project has been highlighted as a notable contribution to the film’s success.