Robert Pattinson’s Primetime has claimed the No. 1 position at the Australian box office, opening with $1.3 million between October 29 and November 1. The A24 psychological thriller, directed by Lance Oppenheim, pushed Clayface from the top spot and reached $1.41 million when advance screenings are included. The result adds another strong international performance to the film’s theatrical run. However, its release has also attracted attention for a different reason: Pattinson portrays real-life journalist Chris Hansen, whose response to the film has become part of the public conversation surrounding it.
Primetime takes viewers back to the mid-2000s, when Hansen’s To Catch a Predator segments on NBC’s Dateline turned undercover stings into a major national television talking point. Pattinson portrays Hansen in a fictionalised account inspired by events surrounding the programme. Rather than following the conventions of a straightforward biographical film, Oppenheim uses the period and its media culture as the foundation for a psychological thriller. The film’s candy-coloured visual style creates a contrast with the unsettling subject matter, giving the story a distinct tone.
The portrayal has not gone unchallenged by the man at its centre. In an interview with Variety, Hansen described Pattinson’s version of him as a complete work of fiction. He also called the portrayal detached from reality, making clear his disagreement with the way the film presents his work and the events surrounding the programme. Pattinson, meanwhile, said he hoped Hansen might eventually view the performance as a compliment, referring to the inspiration the journalist’s character had provided to people over the years.
There has since been a notable shift in the tone of the exchange. On October 28, Hansen posted a video on social media inviting Pattinson to join him for a one-on-one conversation on his podcast, Have a Seat with Chris Hansen. He even offered to travel to London to accommodate the actor’s schedule. The invitation was not a confirmation of an interview, but it gave the discussion surrounding the film another public development. Whether Pattinson accepts remains to be seen.
The Australian result follows a strong run in other markets. Primetime has earned nearly $50 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $15 million. Its theatrical gross represents a substantial return relative to the reported production cost. However, box-office revenue should not be equated with net profit, as marketing and distribution expenses, along with the share retained by cinemas, also affect a film’s final earnings.
In the United States, the film opened with approximately $18.83 million. That debut established it as one of A24’s stronger launches, and its performance has continued to attract attention beyond the studio’s usual audience. Its subsequent international business, including the Australian opening, has added to the film’s commercial momentum.
The film’s visual approach is another important part of its identity. Cinematographer David Bolen explained that the production used different camera systems to recreate the texture of early-2000s television. The main footage was captured on the Alexa 35 at a high exposure index to create visible grain before being printed to 16mm film. The production also employed older broadcast cameras and DV cameras, drawing on the imperfect image quality associated with hidden-camera television.
These choices were intended to give the film a visual texture connected to the period and the television culture it examines, rather than making it look polished and contemporary. The use of different camera formats also supports the film’s approach to its subject, placing the viewer closer to the visual language of the television era that inspired the story.
That attention to texture is closely tied to the film’s central subject. Primetime is not simply recreating a television era; it examines how real events become entertainment and how the people involved are shaped by the cameras observing them. Its Australian debut adds another commercial milestone to a film already generating discussion over its portrayal of Hansen. By moving to No. 1 after displacing Clayface, Primetime has secured a strong opening in another international market and extended Robert Pattinson’s latest box-office run.