Chris Hansen’s Family Thinks Robert Pattinson’s Performance in Primetime Is ‘a Pretty Good Imitation’ of Former “Dateline” Correspondent

Tommy McArdleMon, August 31, 2026 at 3:31 PM UTC

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Chris Hansen on May 9, 2017; and Robert Pattinson in ‘Primetime’Credit: Mireya Acierto/FilmMagic; A24 -

Chris Hansen said in a new interview that his wife and family think Robert Pattinson is doing “a pretty good imitation” of himself in the new movie Primetime

Hansen, the former host of Dateline NBC‘s To Catch a Predator segment, has made news in recent weeks after he stated that he has not yet been able to see Pattinson’s new movie based on Hansen’s time hosting the program

Primetime is in theaters Sept. 25 after it makes its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 5

Though Chris Hansen still has his concerns about Robert Pattinson‘s new movie based on To Catch a Predator, the former Dateline correspondent said his family is impressed with Pattinson’s acting performance.

“I mean, obviously he has practiced imitating me, and while I think it’s overly dramatic, I think there is a pretty good imitation in there in the trailer,” Hansen, 66, told Entertainment Tonight in a recent interview, which was shared on TikTok on Saturday, Aug. 29. “And it’s not so much what I think; it’s what other people think. My wife, my family, seems to think it’s a pretty good imitation.”

Hansen has been married to his wife, Gabrielle Hansen, since 2021. He shares two adult children with his ex-wife Mary Joan, who filed for divorce from the broadcast journalist in 2018.

Chris Hansen circa 2016; and Robert Pattinson in ‘Primetime’Credit: Desiree Navarro/WireImage;A24

The former To Catch a Predator segment host has returned to the public eye in recent weeks as Primetime nears release. Pattinson, 40, stars as Hansen in Primetime, a movie partially based on a 2007 Esquire article titled “Tonight on Dateline, This Man Will Die” and draws from Hansen’s time hosting To Catch a Predator between 2004 and 2007.

Hansen has said multiple times in recent weeks that he was not consulted on the movie and did not know about the production until shortly before its first trailer released in May.

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“If you look at the trailer, you’ll see that Robert Pattinson — and look, I get that he’s a huge Hollywood star and people think I should be flattered be this,” Hansen told Entertainment Tonight. “I get that, and I am, to a certain extent. I think it’s disappointing that a major film company would not have the common courtesy to at least tell you what they’re doing. Just inconsiderate. Why do you create the perception that I was involved with it without actually coming out and saying that?”

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Representatives for Pattinson did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

“He’s saying things I never said and doing things I never did, and that’s not who I am. I’m a nice guy — except when it comes to criminals and predators,” he added elsewhere in his interview with the outlet.

On Aug. 20, Hansen appeared on Fox News’ Jesse Watters Primetime to discuss the movie. During that interview, Hansen claimed that he declined an opportunity to view the film early through its distributor, A24, after the company asked him “to sign away my rights to my name, image and brand, essentially, as well as any potential legal rights that would come out of the movie.” A source close to the film told Rolling Stone that Hansen was asked to sign a “standard NDA that all preview audiences must sign to watch an unreleased film in an effort to prevent spoilers and protect the studio’s IP.” Per that insider, Hansen was not asked to “sign away” any rights and did not view the film after he refused to sign the agreement.

During an appearance on Dan Abrams’ SiriusXM podcast on Aug. 26, Hansen said that he is weighing his legal options as the movie’s release draws closer. “I sent [studio A24] one last email laying out essentially what I said, and I’ve laid that out before, and we’ve sent them emails through this process,” Hansen said. “Again, this has been going on since May 27, but why is it that they only approach me the day before the first trailer comes out? That seems odd in and of itself, and I think it’s shocking to anybody who hears the timeline on this thing.”

Robert Pattinson in the A24 movie ‘Primetime’Credit: A24

While speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Hansen said that fans of his work “should remember that [the movie] is a work of fiction, only based on real-life events” and directed people toward his network TruBlu and his podcast, Have a Seat with Chris Hansen, for more on his real-life exploits.

Primetime makes its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 5 and releases in theaters Sept. 25. Merritt Wever, Matthew Maher, Bokeem Woodbine and singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers also costar in the movie.

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