Chris Hansen Plans His Own Documentary After Giving Primetime a D
Chris Hansen watched Lance Oppenheim's Primetime in a Times Square theater and graded it a D, calling it overly dramatized and detached from reality. He announced a documentary about his life and career titled I Am Chris Hansen, which is already being shopped to platforms. Hansen praised Robert Pattinson's performance but said the actor's portrayal did not resemble him.
Hansen discussed the project during a YouTube conversation with Jesse Watters. He said he participated in I Am Chris Hansen, which was produced by people he knows and was underway before he learned of Primetime. Representatives are now pitching it to West Coast platforms.
He gave Primetime a D and singled out Robert Pattinson's acting for praise, though he felt the characterization did not match him. Hansen also disputed a scene showing Pattinson rehearsing shirtless at a vanity mirror, saying it and nearly all other moments were invented. He said A24 never contacted him.
The clash could affect how audiences view true-crime dramatizations and the real people they depict. Viewers familiar with Hansen's prior work may compare his forthcoming documentary with Primetime, while streaming platforms may see controversy as either promotional value or reputational risk. Filmmakers and subjects could face greater scrutiny over consent, factual accuracy, and dramatic license, and some viewers may become more skeptical of dramatized accounts presented as entertainment.