‘Primetime’ Release Date, Time, Cast, and Plot Trailer Revealed for Robert Pattinson’s New A24 Movie

A24 has finalized the theatrical plans for ‘Primetime,’ its dramatized retelling of the television program that turned online sting operations into a ratings phenomenon. The film follows the origins of the news magazine program To Catch a Predator, which featured host Chris Hansen confronting adult men who would arrive at a sting house to rape minors and typically get arrested as a result.

Robert Pattinson leads the cast as Hansen, and the project has already generated significant conversation following its festival debut. With the theatrical window now locked and reviews starting to surface, audiences have a clearer picture of what to expect from ‘Primetime’ when it reaches theaters this month.

‘Primetime’ Release Date and Time

Primetime had its world premiere in main competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 5, 2026, where it competed for the Golden Lion. A24 then set the film for a nationwide theatrical release on September 25. No streaming date has been confirmed at this stage, so audiences hoping to watch from home will need to wait for further word from the studio.

Primetime opens in US theaters on Friday, September 25, 2026, with eighteen other films arriving on the same date, including Heart of the Beast, Avengers: Endgame Encore and Forgotten Island. The film is opening in select theaters across major markets, so moviegoers are advised to check local listings for exact showtimes near them. The rollout suggests a platform style release rather than a simultaneous wide expansion on day one.

The movie has also been rated R, for disturbing sexual material, graphic nudity, some violent content and language. That rating reflects the uncomfortable subject matter at the center of ‘Primetime,’ which does not shy away from the darker elements of its source material. Given the sensitive nature of the story, the R rating is unlikely to surprise anyone who has followed the project’s development.

The Cast of ‘Primetime’

Robert Pattinson serves as a producer on the film in addition to starring as Hansen. The supporting cast includes Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Matthew Maher, Bokeem Woodbine and Anna Faris in key roles. Musician Phoebe Bridgers also appears in the film, marking a notable step into acting for her.

Critics at the Venice Film Festival singled out Pattinson as outstanding in the role of Chris Hansen, describing the portrait as colorful and highly stylized, with several scene stealing supporting performances. Bridgers earned notice for her acting debut, while Gisondo was called a standout among the ensemble. That kind of reception suggests the film benefits from a deep bench rather than resting entirely on its lead performance.

Behind the camera, Lance Oppenheim directs ‘Primetime’ from a screenplay by Ajon Singh, marking Oppenheim’s first narrative feature after building a career in documentary filmmaking. That documentary background appears to have shaped the visual approach of the film, according to early reviews. The pairing of a documentary sensibility with a heightened, satirical tone is one of the more discussed aspects of the production so far.

The Plot of ‘Primetime’ Explained

Set in 2006, the story follows Chris Hansen as he sets out to make television history through his segment for the news program that would become To Catch a Predator. The screenplay draws on Luke Dittrich’s Esquire article about Hansen’s Dateline NBC work, and reviewers have noted that the film frames its subject as a ruthless ratings hunter with a grandiosity complex. That framing sets the tone for a movie less interested in celebrating its central figure than in examining what drove him.

Reviewers have described the film as unrelentingly stylish, built around a distorted, hyperreal version of the residual discomfort that made the original program controversial. The visual approach reportedly leans into a grubby, vintage video look with saturated colors, giving the film the texture of the reality television it is dramatizing. That aesthetic choice appears to be central to how ‘Primetime’ distinguishes itself from a standard biographical drama.

Some reviews describe the film as most revealing precisely when it declines to offer easy answers, recreating the mechanics of the original program with skill while leaving its underlying moral questions largely unresolved. The result, according to that reading, is a thriller about how television turned public shaming into spectacle without fully deciding what it thinks about that transformation. Viewers heading into ‘Primetime’ should expect a film more interested in provocation and atmosphere than in tidy conclusions.

Watch the ‘Primetime’ Trailer

The full trailer for Primetime dropped in August and drew considerable attention, with fans marveling at Pattinson’s ability to alter his voice for the role. The real life Chris Hansen responded by questioning whether the actor’s performance was too dramatic. That public back and forth between Hansen and the film’s marketing only added to the anticipation heading into the premiere.

Hansen has also taken a more active approach around the film’s release, purchasing advertising space to run before screenings of Primetime and in theater lobbies to promote his own true crime streaming network. He has said he plans to attend a screening of the finished film, though his relationship with the project has remained noticeably tense. That tension between subject and filmmakers has become part of the story surrounding ‘Primetime’ as much as the film itself.

Hansen told Fox News host Jesse Watters that he skipped an early screening, alleging that lawyers at A24 wanted him to sign away rights to his name, image and likeness as well as any potential legal claims connected to the movie. Pattinson responded to those comments while in Venice, saying simply that he hopes Hansen likes the movie. The exchange has kept ‘Primetime’ in headlines well beyond the usual festival circuit chatter.

Critical Reception at Venice

Primetime received a nine minute standing ovation following its world premiere in Venice, with attendees including Chloe Zhao, Amanda Seyfried, Mona Fastvold and Pattinson’s partner Suki Waterhouse. The film has held a 93 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes following its debut. That early consensus points to a warm reception, even as individual reviews vary in enthusiasm.

Bilge Ebiri of Vulture wrote that nothing quite prepared him for Pattinson’s turn as Hansen, calling it a stunning demonstration of the actor’s range. Variety praised the film’s terrific ensemble, and Little White Lies described Pattinson as wearing Hansen’s skin like a suit while calling his performance a career high. Not every outlet was uniformly positive, with some grading the film as solid rather than exceptional.

Indiewire and Awards Watch both landed on B grades, with the latter noting that the film recreates the machinery of the original program with skill but leaves its moral questions largely untouched. Even those more measured reviews acknowledged the craft on display, particularly in Pattinson’s performance. As ‘Primetime’ heads toward its wide theatrical release, the divide between admiration for the filmmaking and lingering questions about its ethics seems likely to follow the film into general release.

Given how divided critics remain on whether ‘Primetime’ says something meaningful about the show it depicts or simply amplifies its worst instincts, audiences who catch the film in theaters this month may want to weigh in on which side of that argument they land on.