Robert Pattinson hopes Chris Hansen will like his portrayal in new film "Primetime"
Actor Robert Pattinson discussed his role as journalist Chris Hansen in the A24 thriller "Primetime" at the Venice Film Festival, noting Hansen's mixed reaction to the trailer and expressing hope the real-life figure will appreciate the film.
Robert Pattinson said he hopes the real-life journalist Chris Hansen will enjoy the A24 thriller "Primetime," which debuted at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday. Hansen, who hosted the Dateline NBC series "To Catch a Predator," has not seen the film after refusing to sign a studio NDA, but described the trailer as "overly dramatic" and questioned Hollywood's motives in dramatizing the series, while noting his family thought the portrayal was a "pretty good imitation."
"Obviously, I hope he likes the movie," Pattinson told reporters. "There's something electrifying about him. I would hope the amount of inspiration his character has given a lot of people for years is some kind of compliment."
Directed by Lance Oppenheim in his narrative feature debut, the mid-2000s-set drama follows Hansen as he turns the pursuit of suspected child predators into primetime entertainment, exploring the ethical limits of his methods. The film draws on a 2007 Esquire article and references the eventual cancellation of "To Catch a Predator" in 2008 after criticism of its tactics.
"There's something magnetic about his presence. I watched the show when I was younger and didn't think about it," Pattinson added. "There's a strange alchemy — something he's doing is the reason people are still talking about that show 20 years later."
Pattinson was joined at the press conference by co-stars Skyler Gisondo, Merritt Wever and musician-turned-actress Phoebe Bridgers, whose debut performance he praised.
"She's unbelievable," he said of Bridgers. "She completely got the tone, and it was a relatively difficult movie."
Bridgers described the set as "super intimidating" but ultimately enjoyable, while Oppenheim called the project a "docu-fantasia" that blends documentary sensibility with fictional storytelling.
"When I finally saw 'To Catch a Predator,' I was amazed. Chris Hansen had these one-liners like Tony Montana. It was theatrical, turning one of the darkest subjects into entertainment," Oppenheim explained.
Pattinson, who is also appearing in several high-profile releases this year, noted his busy schedule and joked about his characters overlapping.
"I can definitely hear a little Chris Hansen in 'The Odyssey' when I watch it," he laughed.