Moviegoers heading to see Robert Pattinson play To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen in Primetime are going to get a visit from the real Chris Hansen first.
Hansen has purchased preshow advertising at every theatrical screening A24’s upcoming movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The commercial promotes TruBlu, Hansen’s streaming network focused on true crime, investigations, and documentaries. And yes, Hansen is using one of his most recognizable catchphrases.
In the commercial, Hansen sits in a kitchen, the kind of setting viewers will remember from his To Catch a Predator investigations, and tells the audience:
“I’m going to need everyone in the theatre to take a seat right over there.”
He then tells moviegoers about TruBlu, saying that there are now more platforms than ever where the crimes explored by his investigations are being committed. The advertisement includes a QR code directing audiences to TruBlu.
The move is interesting considering Hansen’s complicated relationship with Primetime, which dramatizes his work on To Catch a Predator. Hansen has previously said that he declined an invitation to watch the movie because A24 required him to sign an agreement preventing him from taking legal action against the studio. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Hansen is now consulting attorneys about his options following the film’s release.
Sources also say Hansen wanted the commercial to go even further. Apparently he originally planned to end the ad by describing Primetime as a “Hollywood fantasy version” of the events portrayed in the movie. That line was removed over concerns about potential backlash from A24.
Directed by Lance Oppenheim, Primetime is inspired by Luke Dittrich’s 2007 Esquire article “Tonight on Dateline, This Man Will Die.” The article examined the suicide of Bill Conradt, a Texas district attorney who became the target of one of Hansen’s televised sting operations after allegedly attempting to solicit sex from a minor.
Robert Pattinson stars as Hansen, with Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers, Matthew Maher, Bokeem Woodbine, and Sean Bridgers also appearing.
The film’s official synopsis reads: “In 2006, To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen sets out to make television history.”
Primetime will have its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on September 5 before arriving in theatres on September 25. Will you be watching? Let us know by leaving a comment below.