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Robert Pattinson left fans doing a double take after debuting his eerie Chris Hansen transformation in A24’s “Primetime” trailer.
A24 released the first trailer for “Primetime,” the upcoming thriller starring Pattinson as the “To Catch a Predator” host, on Thursday. The film, directed by Lance Oppenheim, follows Hansen as he sets out to make television history in the 2000s.
“To Catch a Predator” was a popular Dateline NBC series hosted by Hansen that used undercover sting operations to confront adults accused of attempting to meet minors for sex before they were arrested by police. As seen in the trailer, Pattinson did truly morph into Hansen for the film.
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Robert Pattinson transforms into “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen in A24’s upcoming thriller “Primetime.” (Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images)
“What would have happened if I wasn’t here,” the actor said in the trailer, using some of Hansen’s most iconic lines. “You see how this looks, right? At the end of the day, a man must be held accountable for the decisions that he makes. Would you agree? Do you watch television? Well, there is something you should know. I’m Chris Hansen, with Dateline NBC, and you’re about to be a part of television history.”
It didn’t take long for the trailer to set social media ablaze. Fans praised Pattinson’s performance, predicted Oscar buzz and declared A24 had another hit on its hands.
“Pattinson is about to get an Oscar nomination for this,” one user wrote. “The man cannot miss.”
“If there’s one thing Pattinson is going to bring to the table, it’s a crazy little voice,” another user added. “He’s had an incredible year; I can’t wait for this one.”
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Chris Hansen hosted NBC’s “To Catch a Predator,” a hidden-camera series that confronted adults accused of attempting to meet minors for sex. (Lisa Berg/NBCUniversal)
“This is gonna be so PEAK I cannot wait,” one fan wrote.
“A24 somehow took one of the most memeable true-crime shows of all time and turned it into something that feels genuinely unsettling,” another said. “September 25th is going to be a problem.”
But not everyone was focused on Pattinson’s performance. Some viewers were left wondering whether the film would tackle the real-life controversy that brought “To Catch a Predator” to an abrupt end.
“Ok, but why does this trailer make it seem like Hansen is the bad guy?” one user questioned.
“Is the story of why they stopped filming the show in there like about the guy who killed himself when caught,” another asked.
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“To Catch a Predator” became a cultural phenomenon before ending after its final investigation aired in 2007 following a controversial Texas sting operation. (Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images)
“To Catch A Predator” quickly ended after a highly controversial 2006 sting in Texas involving assistant district attorney Bill Conradt. Conradt had allegedly communicated online with a decoy posing as a 13-year-old boy but never arrived at the sting house. Instead, police – accompanied by Dateline NBC cameras – went to his home to serve a search warrant. As officers entered the house, Conradt died by suicide.
Although Hansen has maintained that the series simply ran its course after three years, the Conradt case is widely viewed as the event that led to the show’s cancellation in 2008.
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Robert Pattinson has earned early Oscar buzz after the first trailer for “Primetime” showcased his uncanny performance as Chris Hansen. (Stephane Cardinale/Corbis)
Pattinson has balanced major studio films with acclaimed auteur projects in recent years. He’s appeared in “The Batman,” “The Boy and the Heron,” “Mickey 17,” “Die My Love,” “The Drama” and Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.”
He also has several high-profile projects in the pipeline, including “Dune: Part Three,” “Here Comes the Flood” and “The Batman: Part II.”
“Primetime” is scheduled to open in theaters on Sept. 25.
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