Robert Pattinson’s ‘Primetime’ Takes a Steep Second-Week Drop, but It Is Still Paying Off for A24
Robert Pattinson has had a busy 2026, and ‘Primetime‘ is the kind of risky, adult-oriented project A24 is known for. It premiered in competition at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 5 and earned a long standing ovation. Pattinson emerged with strong notices and early Oscar talk.
The film is a dramatization of the controversial hidden-camera series ‘To Catch a Predator’ and its host, Chris Hansen, played by Pattinson. Lance Oppenheim directed in his narrative feature debut, from a screenplay by Ajon Singh based on the 2007 ‘Esquire’ article ‘Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die.’ The cast also includes Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Alex Winter and Phoebe Bridgers.
That subject matter is a hard sell, and the second-weekend numbers show it. Box office analyst Luiz Fernando writes that Pattinson won’t see a hold as strong as Brad Pitt’s, given his movie’s subject matter, but it is a good thing he doesn’t need one. The R-rated festival darling grossed a solid $2.5 million on its second Friday, a 70.8% drop from its opening day.
#RobertPattinson won’t see a hold as strong as #BradPitt’s at US #BoxOffice given his movie’s subject matter, but good thing he doesn’t need to!
— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) October 3, 2026
R-rated Festival darling #PRIMETIME grossed solid 2.5M on 2nd FRI, a -70.8% drop from last FRI Opening Day (vs #Napoleon 2.2M, -74.7%,… pic.twitter.com/a8myXLY2mA
Fernando put that drop in context. ‘Napoleon’ earned $2.2 million on its second Friday, down 74.7%, while ‘Mickey 17’ earned $2.2 million, down 71.8%, and ‘Civil War’ earned $3.3 million, down 69.9%. ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ brought in $2.7 million, down 71.5%, and ‘The Drama’ earned $2.8 million, down 55.6%.
The film now has a $28.6 million domestic total and is eyeing an $8 million to $9 million second three-day weekend, a drop of 53% to 58%. More importantly for the studio, Fernando notes that A24 only paid $14.5 million to acquire the distribution rights. In his view, the film will more than pay back that investment, both financially and in awards-season value.
The opening weekend already put it in the record books. ‘Primetime’ debuted with $19.2 million, which is the third-best opening ever for A24, ahead of the 2025 hit ‘Marty Supreme’ at $15.7 million. Variety reports that it trails only ‘Backrooms’ at $81.4 million and ‘Civil War’ at $25.5 million.
The reception has helped. The film holds a Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score in the low 90s, and audiences gave it a B CinemaScore. Critics have been especially taken with Pattinson, with some calling his turn one of his most locked-in performances.
You see how this looks, right? Lance Oppenheim's PRIMETIME produced by and starring Robert Pattinson as famed To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen, inspired by true events. Have a seat September 25. pic.twitter.com/FvGyl2dIBs
— A24 (@A24) August 6, 2026
Not everyone is a fan. Hansen has criticized the film and said he has not seen it after declining to sign a nondisclosure agreement for a screening. He has called the fictionalized depiction an insult, and reviews have noted that the film portrays his work as exploitation in which the public good was secondary to ratings.
That controversy may be part of why the film has drawn a curious audience. A steep second-weekend drop is common for this kind of dark, adult drama, and A24 is likely to be happy with a result that outpaces most of its peers. If the Oscar conversation around Pattinson keeps growing, the film should keep earning attention long after the weekend numbers fade.
What do you make of Primetime taking a steep second-weekend drop?
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