Chris Hansen criticizes A24's "Primetime" as inaccurate portrayal of his work
Chris Hansen says the upcoming film "Primetime," starring Robert Pattinson as him, distorts his real-life sting operations and was produced without his input.
The A24 film "Primetime," slated for release on Sept. 25, depicts a fictionalized version of former "To Catch a Predator" host Chris Hansen, with Robert Pattinson playing the journalist. Hansen, who has only seen the trailer, told the New York Post that the studio and director aimed to create a "completely dark work of fiction" and that the portrayal is "an insult" to his legacy.
He said none of the scenes shown in the trailer, including a moment where Hansen allegedly boasts about being bigger than the TV series "Lost," ever occurred in real life. Hansen also disputed a suggested conversation between the character and former NBC executive Jeff Zucker, noting that Zucker himself confirmed the scene was fabricated.
According to Hansen, the filmmakers did not consult him during development and a proposed nondisclosure agreement contained a clause that would indemnify the studio from legal action, which he refused to sign. A24 declined to comment.
The movie draws partly from a 2007 Esquire article about the suicide of Texas assistant district attorney Louis Conradt, a case Hansen says was reported accurately at the time. While Hansen plans to watch the finished film in theaters, he has not ruled out possible legal action and continues to produce sting-operation content through his TruBlu streaming service.