Chris Hansen is speaking out again about the upcoming film Primetime, and this time, he’s giving Robert Pattinson some credit for his performance as him.
Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Hansen, the former host of Dateline NBC’s To Catch a Predator, shared his take on The Batman star’s portrayal based on what he’s seen in the trailer.
“Obviously he has practiced imitating me, and while I think it’s overly dramatic, I think there is a pretty good imitation there in the trailer,” Hansen said.
However, Hansen added that his family has been more receptive to Pattinson’s performance.
“It’s not so much what I think; it’s what other people think. And you know, my wife [and] my family seem to think it’s a pretty good imitation,” he said.
Still, Hansen pointed out that Pattinson’s character is not an exact portrayal of him.
“He’s saying things I never said and doing things I never did, and that’s not who I am. I’m a nice guy, except when it comes to criminals and predators,” Hansen continued. “I think people should remember that it is a work of fiction, only based on real-life events.”
The Hollywood Reporter reached out to Pattinson’s reps for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication.
Hansen has also been vocal about his lack of involvement in the film, which is inspired by his work investigating suspected child predators.
Last week, he told Fox News’ Jesse Watters that he did not attend a screening of Primetime because, he alleged, “The lawyers at A24 wanted me to sign away my rights to my name, image and brand, essentially, as well as any potential legal rights that would come out of the movie.”
“I couldn’t sign that, so they didn’t show me the film. I went all the way over there. … But who’s going to sign something like that?” he added.
Despite not being involved in the film, Hansen purchased preshow advertising on every screen showing Primetime, directing moviegoers to TruBlu, his streaming network focused on predator investigations, THR exclusively reported.