Chris Hansen Says He Could Take Legal Action Against A24 After Being Denied a Screening of ‘Primetime’

Robert Pattinson’s newest A24 drama has already generated plenty of buzz ahead of its Venice Film Festival premiere, but the film’s real-life subject is making headlines of his own for entirely different reasons. What began as a straightforward promotional rollout has spiraled into an increasingly public dispute between one of television’s most recognizable investigative journalists and the studio bringing his story to the screen.

‘Primetime‘ follows Chris Hansen, the former host of NBC’s ‘To Catch a Predator,’ during the height of the hidden-camera franchise’s popularity in the mid-2000s. Directed by Lance Oppenheim in his narrative feature debut and written by Ajon Singh, the film stars Pattinson as Hansen alongside Phoebe Bridgers, Merritt Wever, and Skyler Gisondo, with a trailer that’s already drawn praise for Pattinson’s uncanny take on Hansen’s mannerisms.

That praise hasn’t extended to Hansen himself, who says he now believes he may have legal grounds to pursue action against A24 over how the film portrays him. Hansen has claimed the studio’s screening agreement went beyond a standard confidentiality document, alleging it would have required him to waive his rights to his own name, image, and brand, along with any potential legal claims tied to the film, before he’d be allowed to watch it.

Hansen described the situation during an appearance on Fox News’ ‘Jesse Watters Primetime,’ explaining that he traveled to A24’s offices for a scheduled 10 a.m. private screening only to walk away without seeing a single frame. “The lawyers at A24 wanted me to sign away my rights to my name, image and brand essentially, as well as any potential legal rights that would come out of the movie,” Hansen said, adding that his attorneys had already reviewed the paperwork beforehand and advised him against signing.

A source close to A24 pushed back on that account, telling Deadline and other outlets that Hansen was simply asked to sign a standard screening NDA of the kind typically required of preview audiences to prevent spoilers and protect the studio’s intellectual property ahead of release. According to that source, the document did not actually require Hansen to surrender rights connected to his name, image, or likeness, and he had a full week to review the agreement with his own legal team before the scheduled screening.

Hansen has continued raising the dispute publicly since that initial appearance, reportedly telling Fox News he’s now consulting with lawyers about potential legal recourse, according to details later compiled on Wikipedia’s entry for the film. He’s also taken the unusual step of purchasing pre-show advertising slots ahead of theatrical screenings of ‘Primetime,’ featuring himself in a kitchen setting reminiscent of his old sting operations, inviting audiences to “take a seat” before directing them toward his own streaming platform.

Despite the growing friction, Hansen has repeatedly acknowledged he still hasn’t actually seen the finished film, basing his objections largely on the trailer and secondhand descriptions from others who attended screenings without needing to sign the same paperwork he was given. He’s pointed to that inconsistency as one of the more puzzling aspects of the entire dispute, questioning why other viewers weren’t held to the same requirements he was.

‘Primetime’ is set to premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival on September 5 before opening in US theaters on September 25. Whether Hansen’s grievances translate into an actual lawsuit or simply remain a public war of words with the studio, the controversy has already added an unexpected layer of drama to the film’s rollout before most audiences have even had the chance to see it.

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