Chris Hansen Weighs Legal Action Against A24 Over ‘Primetime,’ Calls Film a Betrayal

Chris Hansen, the former “Dateline NBC” correspondent behind “To Catch a Predator,” has retained lawyers to explore whether he has legal recourse against A24 over “Primetime,” a new dramatized film in which Robert Pattinson stars as a fictionalized version of Mr. Hansen.No lawsuit has been filed, and Mr. Hansen acknowledges that a defamation claim would be difficult for him to pursue as a public figure, LawCommentary reports. Still, he has floated other ideas. “Are there other, more creative legal theories that could hold them accountable? Maybe. Is it identity theft? What separates this from identity theft?” he asked the Hollywood Reporter.Mr. Hansen pushed further on the identity question in an interview with USA Today, arguing that even if the film — which opened Friday — is meant as a “fever dream” rather than a straightforward biopic, that doesn’t excuse how his likeness was used. “If it is a fever dream, why was it important that he used my name, image, and likeness?” Mr. Hansen asked. “The answer is because it’s got commercial value. They wanted to exploit the brand that I’ve built over the last 45 years.”Much of Mr. Hansen’s frustration stems from being shut out of the film’s development entirely. A24 never consulted him while “Primetime” was being made, and when the studio eventually invited him to a screening at its Manhattan offices, it asked him to sign a nondisclosure agreement first. Mr. Hansen refused and left without watching the film.“I said, ‘Just let me see it,’ and they wouldn’t,” he told USA Today, noting the NDA “had a paragraph that was very restrictive for me.”Mr. Hansen contrasted his experience with how other biopics have handled their subjects, pointing to Tom Hanks’ preparation for a film about the real-life hero who safely landed a powerless airliner on the Hudson River. “When Tom Hanks portrays Sully Sullenberger, he has a meeting with him,” Mr. Hansen said. “That’s not what they did in this situation.”After finally watching “Primetime” at a public screening on Friday, Mr. Hansen didn’t hold back. On his podcast, “Have a Seat with Chris Hansen,” on Friday night, he called the film a “fever dream,” detached from reality, and gave Mr. Pattinson’s performance a “D” grade. He also disputed specific scenes involving Jeff Zucker, former CEO of NBC, and reporter Stone Phillips that he says never happened. He also rejected the film’s portrayal of him as an aloof, ratings-obsessed figure.“He’s got work to do,” Mr. Hansen said of Mr. Pattinson’s performance. “I’m kind of the only guy that counts for this, right?”Despite Mr. Hansen’s criticism, “Primetime” has landed well with critics, earning a strong score of 87 on Rotten Tomatoes since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Directed by Lance Oppenheim, the film draws partly from a 2006 Texas sting operation and the Esquire article that inspired its screenplay.Mr. Hansen has said his issue lies with the production, not Mr. Pattinson personally, calling him “a very talented actor.” For now, Mr. Hansen told USA Today, “I’m not looking to create a prolonged legal battle. It’s a full-time job being Chris Hansen.”In a Friday night interview, Fox News host Jesse Watters asked Mr. Hansen, “Why do you think they made you out to be this crazy guy when you actually have crazy guys showing up to have sex with little kids?”“Right? So what does that say about Hollywood?” Mr. Hansen said. “Hollywood wants to demonize the guy doing what I think is very good work that has created a dialogue that didn’t exist before, an awareness that didn’t exist before, and yet they turn him into the bad guy.”“And so you have to question the motives of not coming forward and talking to me or anybody who I worked closely with over the years, and they didn’t want to hear that Chris Hansen’s a good guy. They didn’t want to hear that this work is important. This director had a dark image of what he wanted to do. He wanted to create a horror-like film with interesting photography and didn’t want to hear anything else,” he said.“I bet it changed the way you look at Hollywood,” Mr. Watters said. “It does. I mean, but you figure this, Jesse. I mean, this was an industry led by one of the most prolific predators to walk the planet, Harvey Weinstein,” Mr. Hansen replied.

Chris Hansen Weighs Legal Action Against A24 Over ‘Primetime,’ Calls Film a Betrayal

Chris Hansen Weighs Legal Action Against A24 Over ‘Primetime,’ Calls Film a Betrayal

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