Dateline's Chris Hansen Calls 'Primetime' Movie an 'Insult' to His Career and a 'Completely Made-Up Work of Fiction'

Chris Hansen explicitly objects to the upcoming A24 film Primetime, calling it an "insult" and publicly condemning its fictionalized portrayal of his life and work.

The former Dateline NBC correspondent, famous for hosting the hidden-camera segment To Catch a Predator, refused to see the movie ahead of its September premiere at the Venice Film Festival because he declined to sign a restrictive non-disclosure agreement.

According to Hansen, A24 lawyers wanted him to sign away the legal rights to his name, image, brand and any potential legal claims resulting from the movie's content.

While Hansen has only seen the trailer and read festival reports, his primary objections focus on how he and his work are being represented.

"We’re talking about an industry that was led by perhaps one of the biggest predators to walk the planet, Harvey Weinstein,” the former NBC correspondent told the Hollywood Reporter.

“I think it’s an insult to the thousands of men and women who work hard every day to protect children from predators. They turn something very positive, very challenging, and not without risk into what is essentially a horror film,” he said.

Hansen noted that Robert Pattinson's portrayal of him misrepresents his true character.

He stated that "the conversations you heard in the trailer never took place in real life" and that the project is "all made up.”

While he admits Pattinson's vocal impression is a fairly accurate imitation, he considers the overall acting choices to be overly theatrical.

Hansen was disappointed that a major film company did not involve or inform him during production. He even hinted he is considering taking legal action against the project.

“But at the end of the day, it is a completely made-up work of fiction. Why would they not contact or consult me? Because they don’t care about the real story. And the irony is that the real story is pretty darn dramatic on its own,” he said.

“I have no issue with Robert Pattinson. I think he’s a great actor and a nice guy, and he has been very gracious in his comments about me. But they put him in a difficult position. He’s going to be asked, 'Did you actually meet with Chris Hansen?' And he has to explain why, as an actor portraying me, they never reached out even to have a discussion,” Hansen said. "There wouldn’t be a movie if I hadn’t created the Predator investigative series, so that would not be possible without my work. Robert Pattinson has said that he hopes the movie adds to my legacy, and I appreciate that.”

Directed by Lance Oppenheim and produced by A24, Primetime focuses heavily on the explosive 2006 boom year of To Catch a Predator.

It explores how the stings became a massive ratings phenomenon before devolving into legal liabilities — culminating in a dramatization of the real-life suburban sting in Murphy, Tx., that ended in the tragic suicide of a target. The movie portrays a version of Hansen consumed by ratings and fame.

Hansen said he had no regrets that his sting led to a suicide.

“It was unfortunate that somebody chose to take his life rather than face criminal consequences. You can draw your own conclusions as to why. They found child pornography on his computer. He had sexually explicit conversations with two different decoys posing as 13-year-old boys,” he said.

The movie debuted at the Venice Film Festival to an eight-minute standing ovation.

At a Venice press conference, Pattinson addressed the criticism directly, saying he didn't set out to make a definitive biopic about Hansen but found the script's exploration of media ethics "electrifying."

Despite the tension, Pattinson remarked, "Obviously, I hope he likes the movie," hoping Hansen might eventually view the performance as a compliment to the cultural inspiration he provided.