Robert Pattinson thriller 'Primetime' banned in Malaysia by censorship board
Photo: A24
Robert Pattinson’s psychological thriller Primetime has been banned in Malaysia by the country’s Film Censorship Board (LPF), according to local distributor Antenna Entertainment.
Antenna announced the decision on October 6, confirming that the A24 film will no longer be released in Malaysian cinemas. The distributor apologised to local moviegoers and thanked them for their support and interest in Primetime.
“We regret to inform you that PRIMETIME will not be released in Malaysia,” Antenna said in a statement posted on X, adding that the film had been banned by the LPF.
Cinema chain Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) also confirmed that the film’s Malaysian release had been cancelled, although its announcement did not specifically mention the censorship ban. Neither Antenna nor GSC provided details about the grounds for the LPF’s decision, while the censorship board has not publicly explained the ban.
The decision comes after Primetime’s Malaysian release had already been postponed. Antenna and TGV Cinemas announced on September 19 that the film’s debut would be moved from October 1 to October 8, while teasing an unspecified development for October 2. The nature of that development was never confirmed.
Directed by Lance Oppenheim in his narrative feature debut, Primetime stars Pattinson as a fictionalised television host inspired by Chris Hansen, the presenter of NBC’s controversial reality programme To Catch a Predator. The cast also includes Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo and singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers.
The screenplay was inspired by a 2007 Esquire investigation into the behind-the-scenes production of To Catch a Predator. Primetime premiered in competition at the Venice International Film Festival on September 5 before opening in North American cinemas on September 25.
With the LPF’s decision, Malaysian audiences will not receive the planned October theatrical release of Pattinson’s latest film, and no new local release date has been announced.