Former To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen is not at all happy with A24’s Primetime, director Lance Oppenheim’s drama starring Robert Pattinson as Hansen, depicting what went on behind the scenes on the popular TV show.
Hansen has been a controversial figure over the years, but as far as he is concerned, Oppenheim’s film is a travesty that presents him unfairly in the fictional portrayal of his life and work, according to The Wrap.
He is so sour on the film that he gave Batman star Robert Pattinson’s performance a low grade of “D.”
Since the film is about him, Hansen said he feels he is the “only guy that counts in this room.” And he went on to insist that the film takes so many artistic liberties with the truth that he doesn’t understand why they had to use his name in the movie at all.
Hansen said that he just can’t understand why the film made him out to be “this crazy guy” and also blasted the film for portraying him as a bad parent.
When asked if any part of the film seemed to adhere to reality, Hansen replied, “Not really.”
“No, the only thing I liked was the commercial about TruBlu that airs right before the film,” Hansen explained. “Let me tell you something: In all honesty, what bothered me most was it portrayed me as an aloof, detached father to my sons, which was so far from reality, and for them to do that really is just a cheap shot with no entertainment, literary or benefit to any viewer or society. It’s just mean-spirited, untrue and unworthy of the viewer’s time.”
He also warned potential audiences of Oppenheim’s film that what they are going to see is simply not about him. He said that the audience has to “realize that when you do go see it that it is absolutely a fictional portrayal of me, of my colleagues, of the series and of the very hard, diligent enterprise work that we did then and do now.”
Hansen also dished that the studio that produced Primetime refused to let him see the film before it debuted in theaters. He even offhandedly insisted that producers wanted him to “sign away my rights to my name, image and brand, essentially,” before seeing the film early. Production company A24 disputes that characterization and claims that they only asked him to sign a limited non-disclosure agreement that prevented him from talking about the movie before its release.
So, with such a disgruntled take on Primetime, is there a lawsuit on the horizon? Hansen seemed to admit that he feels there could be grounds. and says that he has been contacted by several lawyers who have broached the idea of a lawsuit. However, he cagily noted he is not all that “eager” to file one.
“You can go see it and make up your own mind, and I’ll use it to my benefit for all the great projects and things that we have in the works,” he added. Hansen then mentioned a documentary he cooperated with, produced by people he knows, called I’m Chris Hansen,” he said adding that maybe Oppenheim’s film is “pretty good timing” after all.
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