"Primetime" Trailer: Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen

In the middle of an extraordinarily busy 2026 — his lead role in A24's surprise hit 'The Drama,' his scene-stealing villain turn in 'The Odyssey,' and this fall's 'Dune Part 3' — Robert Pattinson is heading back 20 years, to 2006. His new film, 'Primetime,' tells the story of one of television history's most controversial programs, 'To Catch a Predator.' Following May's initial teaser, A24 released the film's full trailer on August 6.

'To Catch a Predator,' a special segment series produced for NBC's news program 'Dateline,' began as a one-off experiment in 2004 and became a regular, widely watched format in 2006. Criticized at the time both for its sensational tone and the ethically questionable structure of its setups, the show worked with law enforcement and the watchdog group Perverted-Justice to run sting operations targeting child predators. Its host was Chris Hansen.

Pattinson plays Hansen in the film, with Anna Faris as his wife, Mary Joan. The supporting cast includes Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, and Phoebe Bridgers. Lance Oppenheim, who drew attention for 'Ren Faire,' directs from a script by Ajon Singh. The film's official logline is simple: "In 2006, 'To Catch a Predator' host Chris Hansen sets out to make television history."

That year also saw the show's darkest chapter: in November 2006, Kaufman County assistant district attorney Bill Conradt died by suicide at his Texas home when police and an NBC camera crew arrived as part of a 'To Catch a Predator' investigation. Conradt's case was part of a four-day operation in Murphy, Texas, that led to 25 arrests. The operation drew intense local backlash, and the Collin County district attorney's office declined to prosecute any of those detained.

'Primetime' will hold its world premiere in the main competition of the Venice Film Festival before opening exclusively in theaters on September 25.