Moviegoers buying tickets to A24’s upcoming film Primetime will encounter Chris Hansen in a pre-show advertisement on every screening screen. Directed by Lance Oppenheim and starring Robert Pattinson as a character played by Robert Pattinson, the film opens September 25 following a Venice Film Festival premiere.
The Bottom Line
- The Pre-Show Play: Chris Hansen purchased advertising space across every theatrical screen showing A24’s Primetime to promote his streaming network, TruBlu.
- The Legal Rift: Hansen declined an invitation to see the film due to a required agreement barring legal action against A24, and sources close to him confirm he is consulting attorneys.
- The Inspiration: The movie draws from Luke Dittrich’s 2007 Esquire article detailing the suicide of Bill Conradt, a Texas district attorney targeted in one of Hansen’s televised sting operations.
Stepping Into the Real Hunting Ground
If you show up to a screening of A24’s Primetime this September, expect a piece of counter-programming before the trailers even roll. Chris Hansen has secured pre-show advertising inventory across every theater exhibiting the film, according to reporting by The Hollywood Reporter. Instead of ordinary studio marketing, audiences find Hansen stepping into a familiar suburban kitchen to deliver a variation of his catchphrase.
https://x.com/JesseBWatters/status/2090602802091278554
“I’m going to need everyone in the theater to take a seat right over there,” Hansen says in the spot, directing viewers via a QR code toward TruBlu, his streaming network. According to sources speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Hansen initially wanted the commercial to explicitly remind theatergoers that the film they were about to watch is “a Hollywood fantasy version” of actual events. That line was ultimately scrapped over concerns regarding potential blowback from A24.
Friction Behind the Scenes and Legal Horizon
Primetime, directed by Lance Oppenheim, explores the luring of suspected sex predators into nondescript suburban kitchens. The project takes its narrative cue from Luke Dittrich’s 2007 Esquire feature, “Tonight on Dateline, This Man Will Die,” which chronicled the suicide of Bill Conradt, a Texas district attorney caught in one of Hansen’s televised sting operations.
Hansen has publicly stated on podcasts and during appearances on Jesse Watters’ Fox News program that he declined an invitation to view the film. The refusal stemmed from a mandatory agreement that would have barred him from taking legal action against A24. Sources close to Hansen confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that he is currently consulting attorneys regarding his options once the film opens to the public.
The Theatrical Strategy and Streaming Crossroads
| Element | Detail | Source / Context |
|---|---|---|
| Studio & Release | A24, opening September 25 | Following a Venice International Film Festival premiere |
| Source Material | Luke Dittrich’s 2007 Esquire article | “Tonight on Dateline, This Man Will Die” |
| Marketing Crossfire | Preshow ads on every screening screen | Promoting Chris Hansen’s TruBlu streaming network |
| Legal Status | Consulting attorneys regarding options | Reported by sources close to Hansen via THR |
As the film heads toward its September 25 theatrical release following a September 5 world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, the intersection of real-world crime reporting and studio fiction remains.
