Chris Hansen Skips A24's Sept. 25 'Primetime' Screening Over Rights Dispute

Q: What secret is A24 hiding in their new film that made Chris Hansen's lawyers completely panic over a so-called standard NDA?

There is no verified evidence that A24 is “hiding” a secret in *Primetime*. What is clear is that Chris Hansen and A24 sharply disagree about the paperwork he was asked to sign before a private screening. Hansen says the agreement was far broader than a normal screening NDA. On Fox News, he claimed A24 wanted him to waive rights tied to his name, image, brand and potential legal claims related to the film. He said his lawyers reviewed it, found it unusually restrictive, and told him not to sign. Because he refused, he says, he was not allowed to watch the movie. A source close to A24 disputes that characterization. According to that account, Hansen was asked to sign a standard nondisclosure agreement routinely used for unreleased films to prevent leaks and protect intellectual property. The source also said Hansen was not being asked to surrender his name or likeness rights in the way he described. So the real issue is not a proven hidden plot point or scandal inside the movie. It is a legal dispute over what the document actually required and whether A24 was trying to shield itself from spoilers only, or also from future objections by the real-life figure depicted in a heavily dramatized film. Since Hansen still has not seen *Primetime*, neither he nor the public can substantiate claims about any specific secret or damaging portrayal in the film. At this stage, the record supports skepticism, not certainty.

Q: Is Chris Hansen's dramatic screening exit a genuine legal battle over his life rights, or a brilliant PR stunt for the movie?

It looks more like a real dispute that is also functioning as useful publicity, not clear evidence of a staged stunt. The key fact is that Hansen and A24 are describing the paperwork in sharply different ways. Hansen says lawyers warned him not to sign because it affected his name, image, brand and possible legal claims. A24-linked sources say it was a routine preview NDA used to prevent leaks of an unreleased film. Without the actual document, there is no way to verify which account is more accurate. What argues against a pure stunt is that Hansen appears to have had lawyers review the agreement in advance and still walked away from a private screening he wanted. He also says he has no financial stake in the film and was not involved in making it. If true, that suggests a genuine legal or reputational concern rather than a coordinated marketing plan. What argues for a publicity benefit is obvious: the dispute gives *Primetime* extra attention just before Venice and its Sept. 25 release. The story reinforces the film’s central intrigue — how a controversial TV figure is being dramatized by Robert Pattinson — and Hansen’s “take a seat right over there” line keeps the episode media-friendly. The most defensible reading is that this began as a real disagreement over screening terms, then quickly became a PR windfall. There is not enough evidence to call it a brilliant orchestrated stunt, but it is clearly generating exactly the kind of pre-release buzz studios rarely mind.

3 articles · Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Aug 21

Chris Hansen said he left A24's office Thursday without seeing Robert Pattinson's "Primetime" after refusing to sign what he called a highly restrictive agreement.
Hansen told Fox News the document would have signed away rights to his name, image, brand and possible legal claims tied to the film, terms he said his lawyers had already reviewed.
A24's account differs: The Hollywood Reporter said Hansen was asked a week earlier to sign a standard NDA used for unreleased films to prevent spoilers and protect studio intellectual property.
"Primetime" dramatizes the making of NBC's "To Catch a Predator," with Pattinson portraying Hansen; Hansen has questioned Hollywood's motives but said he will not judge the film before seeing it.
The Lance Oppenheim-directed film, also starring Merritt Wever and Skyler Gisondo, is scheduled to open in theaters on Sept. 25.