Chris Hansen Buys Ads for Every Screening of A24's "Primetime"

Chris Hansen is financing a pre-show commercial that appears before every theatrical screening of A24's upcoming film "Primetime," which stars Robert Pattinson as a fictionalized version of Hansen. The advertisement, shown exclusively to reporters, invites audiences to visit Hansen's TruBlu streaming service, which focuses on predator investigations and true-crime content. A QR code in the spot directs viewers to the platform's landing page.

The film, a dramatized look at Hansen's sting operations, is scheduled to open in U.S. theaters on September 25 after premiering at the Venice International Film Festival on September 5. Hansen has declined to attend a screening, citing a contractual clause that would have barred him from pursuing legal action against the studio. Sources say he is now consulting attorneys about his options.

In the ad, Hansen appears in a kitchen setting and says, "I'm going to need everyone in the theater to take a seat right over there," before urging viewers to join his undercover investigations on TruBlu. He originally intended to add a line describing the film as a "Hollywood fantasy version" of real events, but the line was removed over concerns it might provoke a response from A24.

"Primetime" is directed by Lance Oppenheim and is based on a 2007 Esquire article that examined the suicide of a Texas district attorney who became the target of one of Hansen's sting operations.