A24 has released the first trailer for Primetime, the upcoming drama starring Robert Pattinson as television journalist Chris Hansen during the early years of NBC’s To Catch a Predator.
Directed by Lance Oppenheim, the film centers on the creation and rise of the controversial hidden camera series that became part of Dateline NBC in the early 2000s. The program followed Hansen and law enforcement officials as they confronted men accused of attempting to meet minors they had contacted online.
The trailer recreates several of the recognizable confrontational exchanges associated with the original series, with Pattinson delivering lines similar to Hansen’s televised interviews with suspects after they arrived at sting locations.
“What would have happened if I wasn’t here?” Pattinson asks in one sequence. “You see how this looks, right?”
Later in the teaser, his character identifies himself by saying, “I’m Chris Hansen with Dateline NBC.”
While the trailer focuses heavily on the production of the series and its media impact, it also hints at the ethical questions surrounding the show’s methods and growing popularity. The footage presents a darker tone that appears closer to a media thriller than a traditional newsroom drama.
Oppenheim directs from a screenplay by Ajon Singh. Producers include Brian Kavanaugh Jones, Fred Berger, Pattinson, Brighton McCloskey, Lars Knudsen, and Tyler Campellone.
The cast also includes Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, and Phoebe Bridgers.
Primetime is scheduled to open in theaters this fall, though an official release date has not yet been announced.
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