Chris Hansen Boycotts A24 Primetime Screening and Buys Ads Ahead of Robert Pattinson Film

A Walkout in Manhattan Over an Unsigned NDA

According to an interview with The Times, Hansen objected to the screening release because he believed it would prevent him from raising legal objections regarding his depiction. Despite the ongoing dispute, Hansen’s streaming platform TruBlu has purchased preshow advertising space in theaters showing the film, seeking to direct audiences toward his current digital sting operations.

Unanswered Requests and Script Objections

Directed by Lance Oppenheim in his narrative feature debut, “Primetime” is based on a 2007 Esquire article titled “Tonight on Dateline, This Man Will Die” by Luke Dittrich. That article focused on the suicide of a Texas prosecutor targeted during the original broadcast run, which aired on NBC from 2004 to 2007.

According to emails obtained by The Times, A24 executives first contacted Hansen in late May to request his help in promoting the project. Over the subsequent two months, Hansen and his business partners repeatedly requested to view the script or a finished cut, while also raising questions about compensation and production credits. Studio representatives informed Hansen that individual consultation was unnecessary because the film is a dramatized work inspired by true events.

Disputed Conversations and Fictionalized Tropes

Speaking on SiriusXM’s “The Dan Abrams Show,” Hansen asserted that the film is a work of fiction.

“They didn’t have to use my name. They didn’t have to use the names of people with whom I’ve worked,”

Chris Hansen via Mediaite

Hansen added that conversations shown in the movie’s promotional trailer never happened in real life.

Camcorders, Cameos, and Counter-Campaigns

The promotional trailer for “Primetime” has drawn substantial attention within the media industry for featuring former NBCUniversal chief executive Jeff Zucker playing himself in a minor role. The footage also depicts Pattinson shouting lines referencing the television series “Lost.”

While an anonymous individual involved with the production stated that the requested nondisclosure agreement was a standard industry safeguard designed to prevent plot leaks prior to release, Hansen maintained that the agreement was disingenuous. Rather than pursuing a financial payout from the studio, Hansen stated he wants a clearer acknowledgement that the movie is fictional alongside potential charitable contributions to organizations supporting victims of child predators.

TruBlu ads running before screenings will promote Hansen’s current digital series “Takedown,” positioning the real-life investigator directly in front of moviegoers arriving to watch the fictionalized account of his career.