Real-Life Chris Hansen Refused To Watch Robert Pattinson's New Movie Primetime For 1 Key Reason

Published Aug 22, 2026, 10:30 PM EDT Jennifer is a TV and Movie News Editor at ScreenRant. She started her journey in entertainment media in 2022 when she first joined Valnet at CBR before coming to ScreenRant. Jennifer loves TV, especially science fiction. She also loves late-night talk shows, due to her insomnia. Alien: Earth is definitely one of her favorite shows, and she jumps on any chance she gets to write about it. Even on her days off, she will claim an Alien Earth article if one is available. Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon are two of her favorite late-night hosts, and Conan O'Brien before he left his show. Her Alien: Earth coverage for ScreenRant is by far the work that she is most proud of so far. She was initially a finance and political editor, but her passion for pop culture convinced her to transition into entertainment journalism. During her off time, she loves to binge-watch cooking shows such as Kitchen Nightmares. Jennifer also loves spending time with her daughter and cherishes every moment of it. Sign in to your ScreenRant account The real Chris Hansen declined A24's offer to watch Primetime. Hansen reveals that he has no involvement and, as a result, no idea of what A24’s upcoming film Primetime is about. The veteran journalist did have the opportunity to watch the movie before it came out, but he refused to sign the agreement required to view it before it hits theaters. In the film, Robert Pattinson plays a fictionalized version of Hansen. Hansen revealed on Fox News’ Jesse Watters Primetime that he visited A24’s offices earlier that day expecting to watch the unreleased movie. However, he decided not to proceed after reviewing paperwork that he believed could affect his rights involving his name, image, brand, and potential legal claims involving the film. According to the journalist, his attorneys had gone over the document before he arrived. He explained that the agreement was very "restrictive" and said he would have to sign away a lot of his rights, including his own name. So, naturally, he was unwilling to agree to those terms, and the screening did not take place. That disagreement leaves Hansen without any information about the upcoming movie beyond the promotional material that is already available to the public. When he was asked why A24 might have wanted him to sign such a contract before viewing Primetime, the reporter said that he had no idea. This isn't the first time Hansen has addressed his concerns about Primetime. In a previous interview with Entertainment Tonight, he admitted that, while he had nothing against Pattinson, he isn't the actor he would have cast to portray him in the movie. However, he said that he understood why they would cast him. He stated that A24 obviously wants Primetime to be a commercial success, so casting a popular actor made sense. Primetime is directed by Lance Oppenheim and is set in 2006, when Hansen was hosting NBC’s To Catch a Predator. The story follows Hansen as the show makes TV history. The film also stars Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers, Matthew Maher, Bokeem Woodbine, Anna Faris, and Jonathan Lipnicki. The real-life series is known for using hidden cameras and decoys in investigations involving adults who believed they were communicating with minors online and attempting to meet them in person. Primetime will be released in theaters on September 25, 2026. Release Date September 25, 2026 Runtime 110 Minutes Director Lance Oppenheim Writers Ajon Singh Producers Fred Berger, Lars Knudsen, Robert Pattinson, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Ari Aster, Brighton McCloskey, Tyler Campellone, William Iannaccone