Chris Hansen Threatens Legal Action Over Robert Pattinson Movie ‘Primetime’: ‘Very Exploitive’

Chris Hansen is weighing a legal fight over A24’s upcoming thriller Primetime, accusing the film of exploiting his name, family and career while portraying him through Robert Pattinson.

The former To Catch a Predator host has said he is consulting legal experts on whether he can take action against the movie, which dramatizes the controversial origins of the NBC program and Hansen’s role in its infamous investigations.

Chris Hansen has not seen the finished film, but that hasn’t stopped the dispute from escalating ahead of its September 25 theatrical release.

Chris Hansen Says ‘Primetime’ Feels Exploitative

Speaking on SiriusXM’s The Dan Abrams Show, Hansen said he had received legal advice suggesting he could have a potentially strong case against the production.

However, he admitted he is reluctant to launch an aggressive public campaign because doing so could inadvertently generate publicity for the film.

One entertainment lawyer he consulted reportedly told Chris Hansen he could have “a decent case,” while also asking how much time he wanted to spend pursuing it.

That puts Hansen in an unusual position: challenging a movie he hasn’t actually watched.

“I don’t know,” Chris Hansen said, explaining that he has yet to determine whether the film’s depiction crosses a legal line.

His concerns are nevertheless clear.

With Robert Pattinson playing a fictionalized version of Chris Hansen, the movie uses the journalist’s name and explores events surrounding To Catch a Predator. Hansen says he is particularly troubled by the apparent use of names connected to his colleagues and family.

“It feels very exploitative to me,” Hansen said, describing the project as “sneaky and disingenuous.”

Robert Pattinson Plays Hansen in A24 Thriller

Directed by Lance Oppenheim, Primetime examines Chris Hansen’s pursuit of television notoriety through the NBC Dateline sting operation that targeted men suspected of attempting to meet minors for sex.

The film draws from Luke Dittrich’s 2007 Esquire article, “Tonight on Dateline, This Man Will Die,” which examined the controversial operation involving Texas district attorney Bill Conradt.

Robert Pattinson’s involvement has given the project major Hollywood attention, but the real Hansen is now making sure audiences hear his side.

The film is scheduled to premiere at the Venice International Film Festival before its wider theatrical release.

Hansen Refused Private Screening

The controversy intensified after Hansen was invited to attend a private screening but refused to sign an agreement required for the preview.

Hansen previously described the document as unusually restrictive, saying it would have affected rights related to his name, image, and brand, as well as potential legal claims.

The agreement was reportedly an NDA used for preview audiences to prevent spoilers and protect unreleased intellectual property. Hansen declined to sign it and therefore did not get to see the movie.

That leaves him considering legal options without having watched the final product.

Hansen Has His Own ‘Primetime’ Strategy

Rather than simply attacking the movie, Hansen is also turning its theatrical release into a promotional opportunity for his own business.

He has reportedly purchased advertising space before Primetime screenings to promote TruBlu, his streaming platform focused on predator investigations and true-crime programming.

In the advertisement, Hansen appears in a familiar kitchen setting and delivers a variation of his signature confrontation style before directing viewers toward TruBlu.

The strategy means moviegoers could encounter the real Hansen immediately before watching Pattinson portray him.

Sources say Chris Hansen originally wanted the advertisement to explicitly describe Primetime as a “Hollywood fantasy version” of events, but ultimately removed that line amid concerns about potential backlash from A24.

Legal Battle Could Give ‘Primetime’ Even More Attention

For now, no lawsuit has been filed, and Hansen’s comments do not establish that A24 has violated any law.

But the dispute could become a publicity storm in its own right.

Hansen’s objections, Pattinson’s transformation into the controversial TV figure and the movie’s exploration of the To Catch a Predator legacy are already creating a combustible mix ahead of release.

And Hansen’s biggest dilemma may be the simplest one: How do you fight a movie without helping sell it?