Chris Hansen buys ads before every screening of A24’s ‘Primetime’

Hansen's TruBlu advert will play before theatrical showings as the real story returns to public attention

Chris Hansen is making sure audiences hear from him before they watch Robert Pattinson portray him in A24's upcoming film Primetime. The former Dateline NBC correspondent has purchased pre show advertising that will run before every theatrical screening of the film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The unusual promotional move puts the real Hansen directly in front of moviegoers shortly before they see Pattinson's fictionalised interpretation of his career. Hansen's commercial promotes TruBlu, his streaming network focused on predator investigations and true crime programming.

In the advert, Hansen appears in a familiar setting for viewers who remember his television work. Standing inside a kitchen, he addresses the cinema audience and uses a variation of the catchphrase associated with his investigations.

"I'm going to need everyone in the theater to take a seat right over there," Hansen says in the commercial.

He then directs viewers towards TruBlu, pointing to the availability of investigative programming on his streaming platform. A QR code included in the advertisement takes audiences to a landing page for the service.

The timing of the campaign is particularly notable because Primetime examines the work that made Hansen a recognisable television figure. The film focuses on the world of televised predator stings, including the practice of luring suspected predators into seemingly ordinary suburban locations before confronting them on camera.

Pattinson plays Hansen in the film, which is directed by Lance Oppenheim. The project is inspired by Luke Dittrich's 2007 Esquire article "Tonight on Dateline, This Man Will Die." The article examined the death of Bill Conradt, a Texas district attorney who became the subject of a televised sting operation after allegedly attempting to solicit sex from a minor.

Hansen has publicly discussed his reaction to the film and has said that he declined an invitation to attend a screening because he was asked to sign an agreement that would prevent him from taking legal action against A24. Sources close to Hansen say he is consulting attorneys about his legal options following the film's release.

At the same time, Hansen is using the renewed attention around the movie to promote his own work. His advertising campaign ensures that audiences arriving specifically to watch a fictionalised account of his career will encounter the real Hansen before the film begins.

There was reportedly another line Hansen initially wanted to include in the commercial. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that he wanted to describe the events depicted in Primetime as "a Hollywood fantasy version" of what actually happened. Concerns about potential repercussions from A24 reportedly led to that line being removed from the final advertisement.

The film is scheduled to open in cinemas on September 25 after its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on September 5. Its release is expected to bring renewed attention to Hansen's controversial television career, the ethics surrounding televised sting operations and the real events that inspired Oppenheim's film.