Updated Aug. 7, 2026, 12:23 p.m. ET
The official trailer for “Primetime” hints that the upcoming movie, inspired by “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen, is going to be an extremely tense trip through a ratings-seeking journalist’s psyche.
Robert Pattinson exudes maximum intensity as the former NBC News journalist, whose controversial series for “Dateline NBC” from 2004 to 2007 used decoys posing online as minors to search undercover for potential child predators.
In one scene from the trailer, after NBC decides to move “To Catch a Predator” to the coveted 9 p.m. slot, Pattinson’s Hansen shakes his fists with glee as he shouts, “It’ll be bigger than ‘Lost’!” referring to the hit sci-fi adventure drama series that premiered on ABC in 2004.
In another scene, Pattinson says, “‘Predator’ has never earned the recognition it deserves. I want something that matters. No more bottom-feeders. I want a whale.”
What was Chris Hansen’s ‘To Catch a Predator’ about?
“To Catch a Predator” rose to popularity in the mid-2000s for its tense, awkward moments and often absurd reactions from its subjects when encountered by Hansen.
The series was known for its confrontations with suspected child predators who, after exchanging often-explicit messages in online chat rooms with producers posing as children, were lured to a meet-up spot decked with hidden cameras. An adult actor would be at the location and speak to the subject briefly before Hansen emerged for the big reveal.
Hansen and the series were praised for getting predators off the streets before they could harm real children, as many episodes led to real arrests and criminal prosecutions.
The show faced increased scrutiny in 2006, when one subject, a Texas county assistant district attorney named Louis “Bill” Conradt Jr., chatted with a decoy child but did not show up to the sting house. When police showed up at Conradt’s home to attempt to execute a search warrant, he shot and killed himself. His sister later sued “Dateline” and NBC, accusing the show of pressuring police to engage in unnecessary tactics for entertainment. The $105 million lawsuit was settled out of court in 2008.
The overall sting operation in Texas was also called into question over the gathering and handling of evidence. The district attorney’s office declined to prosecute the nearly two dozen remaining cases, with county officials later saying nonprofessionals (Hansen and NBC) compromised the investigation’s integrity.
NBC ended the original run of “To Catch a Predator” in 2007. Hansen would continue pursuing predators in the “Crime Watch Daily” segment “Hansen vs. Predator” and the streaming series “Takedown with Chris Hansen.”
‘Primetime’ release date
“Primetime” will have its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival, which runs from Sept. 2-12. It is scheduled to open in theaters Sept. 25.
