A New Look at a Television Phenomenon
A24 has officially released the first full-length trailer for Primetime, a highly anticipated drama directed by Lance Oppenheim. The film stars Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen, the journalist who became a cultural lightning rod through his work on the NBC investigative series To Catch a Predator. The trailer, released Thursday, offers a glimpse into the high-stakes, ethically complex world of the mid-2000s sting operations that defined a generation of true-crime television.
The footage highlights the internal pressures of television production, featuring former NBCUniversal chief Jeff Zucker—playing himself—advising Pattinson’s Hansen on the show’s commercial viability. “I don’t like your show, but America loves it!” Zucker declares in the clip, setting the stage for the tension between journalistic integrity and the pursuit of ratings.
Behind the Sting Operations
To Catch a Predator, which ran from 2004 to 2007, utilized undercover stings in collaboration with the watchdog group Perverted Justice. The program lured individuals who believed they were meeting minors online to a controlled environment, where they were confronted by Hansen and cameras. The film explores the human elements behind this machinery, with Skyler Gisondo portraying a young actor tasked with playing the role of the decoy, and Merritt Wever appearing as a producer navigating the show’s volatile trajectory.
The film’s narrative is expected to grapple with the fallout that eventually led to the show’s cancellation. A pivotal moment in the real-world timeline occurred in 2006, when Bill Conradt, a Rockwall County assistant district attorney, died by suicide as authorities and the show’s crew arrived at his home with a warrant. The incident triggered a wave of legal and ethical scrutiny, eventually leading to a lawsuit from Conradt’s family and an investigation by ABC’s 20/20.
Production and Perspective
Directed by Lance Oppenheim, known for his documentary work, Primetime marks his first scripted feature. The film is produced by a team including Pattinson, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, and Fred Berger. The aesthetic and tone suggested by the trailer draw parallels to Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler, signaling a dark, character-driven exploration of media obsession. Whether the film will adopt the critical lens seen in the 2025 documentary Predators remains to be seen, but the trailer indicates a focus on the cost of chasing fame through controversy.
Primetime is set to hit theaters on September 25. The cast also includes Phoebe Bridgers, Anna Faris, and Bokeem Woodbine.