Chris Hansen Buys Ad Space Before Screenings of A24's 'Primetime' — a Film He Couldn't Even Watch

Chris Hansen has purchased ad space before screenings of A24's thriller Primetime, a film in which he is portrayed by Robert Pattinson — and one he has not been allowed to see.

Hansen's true-crime streaming network, TruBlu, where he continues the sting investigations he became known for on NBC's To Catch a Predator (2004–07), will run a promotional spot for four weeks before Primetime screenings and in movie theatre lobbies, according to Deadline. The film, written by Ajon Singh and directed by Lance Oppenheim, follows Hansen's attempts to make television history with To Catch a Predator and premieres in theatres on 25 September.

There is a catch. Hansen had no involvement in the making of Primetime. A24's lawyers required preview audiences to sign a non-disclosure agreement a week in advance to protect spoilers and intellectual property. Hansen refused. He said the NDA asked him to sign away rights to his name, image and brand, as well as potential legal rights arising from the movie. Because he would not sign, he was not allowed into a private screening.

Hansen had initially accepted an invitation from the production team to attend. He confirmed he would go. Then the NDA arrived, and he declined to sign it. He has not seen the film.

The cast around Pattinson includes Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers and Matthew Maher. A24 has released both a trailer and a teaser. None of that has been enough to get Hansen through the door.

What makes the ad buy land is the audience it targets. TruBlu President Shawn Rech said the spot was an opportunity to reach a concentrated group of people who either know Hansen or are about to know some version of him — the Pattinson version. The logic is direct: a cinema full of people settling in to watch a film about Chris Hansen is, by definition, a room full of people interested in Chris Hansen.

TruBlu could extend the ad run beyond four weeks if Primetime performs well at the box office, Deadline reported. The outlet published its story on 27 August; Entertainment Weekly, People and IGN had each reported the ad buy the day before.

So the man the film is about is using the film's own audience to sell his own network. He just has not watched the movie he is selling against.