Washington: A24 has unveiled the first full-length trailer for ‘Primetime’, its upcoming true-crime psychological thriller starring Robert Pattinson as controversial television journalist Chris Hansen.
Directed by Lance Oppenheim, the film explores the mid-2000s rise of NBC’s ratings phenomenon ‘To Catch a Predator’ while examining the ethical tensions behind its hidden-camera sting operations, as per Deadline.
The trailer opens with Pattinson delivering Hansen’s instantly recognisable line, “Why don’t you have a seat right there?”
As the hidden-camera investigations gain widespread popularity, the footage shifts into a psychological portrait of a television personality increasingly consumed by his own success. After learning that the segment is being moved into its own standalone primetime slot, Hansen tells his crew, “It’ll be bigger than Lost!”
The story follows Hansen’s transformation from a Dateline correspondent into a media figure driven by an obsession to capture a high-profile target.
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The trailer suggests his focus moves beyond catching what he calls “bottom feeders” to pursuing a “whale,” raising questions about the balance between public-service journalism and ratings-driven entertainment.
The footage also introduces several key supporting characters. Skyler Gisondo plays Dan Plumb, a young actor recruited to pose as a 13-year-old boy in online chatrooms to lure suspects to the safehouse. Merritt Wever appears as Hansen’s fast-paced television producer, while Phoebe Bridgers portrays an operative from the watchdog group working alongside the camera crew.
One of the trailer’s defining moments highlights Hansen’s increasingly intense worldview. Reassuring Plumb, he says, “What you’re doing is more than acting. You’re cleansing the world of an ancient evil.”
Rather than presenting a conventional biographical drama, ‘Primetime’ is positioned as a psychological thriller examining the ethical cost and real-world consequences of turning criminal investigations into appointment television. The film aims to explore the intersection of media influence, justice and entertainment.
‘Primetime’ is produced by a team that includes Ari Aster. The film is scheduled to make its world premiere in competition at the Venice International Film Festival before opening in theatres nationwide on September 25, 2026.
