Moviegoers attending theatrical screenings of A24’s upcoming film "Primetime" next month will see a pre-show advertisement featuring the real Chris Hansen promoting his true-crime streaming service, TruBlu. Hansen, known for hosting NBC’s "To Catch a Predator" and portrayed by Robert Pattinson in the film, purchased the ad space to reach audiences already interested in his story.

Hansen revives one of his signature lines in the ad, saying, “I’m going to need everyone in the theater to take a seat right over there,” before directing viewers to TruBlu. Shawn Rech, president of TruBlu, told Entertainment Weekly that the ad placement targets a concentrated group of people familiar with or about to learn about Hansen.

The campaign is scheduled to run for four weeks exclusively before "Primetime" screenings, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which first reported the ad buy.

Hansen declined a private screening of "Primetime," telling Fox News host Jesse Watters that A24’s lawyers required him to sign what he described as an overly broad agreement. He said the studio wanted him to relinquish rights to his name, image, and brand as a condition for viewing the film.

Directed by Lance Oppenheim, "Primetime" traces the origins of "To Catch a Predator," which began as a "Dateline" segment and aired on NBC from 2004 to 2007. The show was a ratings success but faced criticism for its methods, which involved adults posing as teenagers online to lure suspects to hidden-camera sting houses.

On the "Serialously" podcast, Hansen expressed uncertainty about Hollywood’s motives behind the film and said he plans to investigate further.

Sources