Robert Pattinson Portrays Chris Hansen, Host of NBC’s Controversial ‘To Catch a Predator,’ in New Film

A24 dropped the teaser trailer for Primetime on Wednesday, May 27, revealing Robert Pattinson as broadcast journalist Chris Hansen, who hosted the Dateline NBC investigative series To Catch a Predator.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the British actor, 40, channels Hansen’s distinctive vocal cadence.

The film is set in 2006, a pivotal and turbulent year for the series. As reported by the outlet, To Catch a Predator — which first aired in 2004 — followed Hansen and a production team working alongside law enforcement to set up sting operations targeting alleged online predators. The show pulled in massive ratings but courted serious controversy. That same year, a man named Bill Conradt who had been targeted by the show died by suicide as officers and the camera crew arrived at his home, per the outlet. The tragedy ultimately led to the series’ cancellation.

It remains unclear exactly which chapter of the To Catch a Predator saga the film will explore, but in the clip, Pattinson’s Hansen declares, “I’m Chris Hansen with Dateline NBC, and you’re about to be a part of television history.”

Primetime marks the narrative feature debut of acclaimed documentarian Lance Oppenheim, known for Some Kind of Heaven and Ren Faire, per the outlet. It also represents Pattinson’s first full feature-producing credit. The cast includes Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo and singer Phoebe Bridgers, 31, in her first film role.

The project adds to what is shaping up to be a landmark stretch for Pattinson. He already earned some of the strongest reviews of his career for The Drama alongside Zendaya, per The Hollywood Reporter. Still ahead are major turns in Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey, Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune: Part Three opposite Timothée Chalamet, a role alongside Denzel Washington in Netflix’s Here Comes the Flood and the sequel to The Batman from director Matt Reeves.

Primetime is set to arrive in theaters in September 2026.