Robert Pattinson Responds to Chris Hansen's 'Primetime' Backlash and Claims New Movie is 'Totally Made Up'
Robert Pattinson has reacted to Chris Hansen's trashing of his new film 'Primetime.'
Sept. 7 2026, Published 8:07 a.m. ET
Robert Pattinson has responded to claims made by Chris Hansen that his new film Primetime about the TV journalist is "totally made up."
RadarOnline.com can reveal the British actor, 40, hopes Hansen "likes the movie," despite the To Catch A Predator star going public with his disdain for the flick, having blasted its creators for not consulting him ahead of shooting.
'It's Overly Dramatic'
Hansen claimed particular scenes in the movie 'never happened' in real life.
Hansen described Primetime as a "work of fiction" and claims scenes in the movie "never happened" in real life.
Hansen's series — which aired from 2004-2007 as part of Dateline NBC — saw him confront men who arrived at a staged home expecting to meet minors they had communicated with online, before they were typically arrested by waiting law enforcement.
Speaking about the movie, which hits theaters on September 25, Hansen, 66, said: "It's overly dramatic… How could they tell the story without having talked to anybody who was directly involved?
"The conversations you heard in the trailer never took place in real life."
'There's Something Electrifying About Him'
The Brit actor says the film is a 'compliment' to Hansen.
However, when grilled on Hansen's take on Primetime, Pattinson praised the journalist and says the movie is simply a "compliment" towards him.
Speaking at the Venice Film Festival, where the movie (out September 24) has recently premiered, he said: "Obviously, I hope he likes the movie.
"There's something electrifying about him. I would hope the amount of inspiration his character has given a lot of people for years is some kind of compliment."
He added: "There’s something magnetic about his presence. I watched the show when I was younger and didn't think about it.
Pattinson Lauds 'Groundbreaking' Show
Pattinson paid tribute to Hansen's show's legacy.
"There's a strange alchemy — something he's doing is the reason people are still talking about that show 20 years later. It's not to do solely with the subject matter. It was something about the show that was groundbreaking, but then he’s someone centering it.
"There's something, even after watching literally thousands of hours of it, you can't put your finger on it."
Speaking last month, Hansen, who at that time emphasized he’s yet to see the movie in its entirety, explained that while A24, the production company behind the film, reached out to him in May — just a day before the first trailer came out — asking him to participate in promotional efforts, he felt the move was too little too late.
He even recalled hearing from a mutual connection that the movie's director, Lance Oppenheim, felt he didn’t need to contact the To Catch a Predator host because the movie was a "love letter to Chris Hansen."
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Hansen was irked he was not consulted over new movie.
While appearing on SiriusXM's The Dan Abrams Show, the host asked about "potential legal concerns," to which Hansen responded: "They didn’t have to use my name.
"They didn’t have to use the names of people with whom I’ve worked," even sharing that one of his producers "was so upset the other day because (the trailer) cast her in a negative light" and showed the host yelling at his crew — allegations he denied.
Hansen stressed that he believes the filmmakers wanted to use his name because "it's of value" and "will bring people in the theater."
"Most people are shocked when I tell them that I had nothing to do with the movie," he continued. "This is a work of fiction."
