RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 4 sourcesA series of special episodes for the NBC TV news magazine program "Dateline," "To Catch a Predator" began as a single one-off episode in 2004 before becoming a recurring and popular segment in 2006. Controversial at the time of its run for its sordid tone and the questionable ethical nature of its setup, the series was hosted by Hansen, who worked in conjunction with law enforcement and the watchdog group Perverted-Justice to set up sting operations aimed at arresting child predators. Related Stories 'One Night Only' Review: Fascism Gets Off Easy in This Flirty Humiliation Ritual for Will Gluck Fans 'Super Troopers 3' Review: A Cult Comedy Franchise Takes a Mustache Ride Toward Mediocrity
The series lasted for only 20 episodes before its cancellation in 2008, after "Dateline" faced a $105 million lawsuit over the suicide of a man featured on the program, but it remains widely remembered in popular culture. Hansen has since launched several spiritual successor shows, including the syndicated series "Hansen vs. Predator" and the TruBlu series "Takedown with Chris Hansen."
Pattinson will play Hansen in " Primetime ," with Anna Faris playing his wife Mary Joan. Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, and Phoebe Bridgers round out the film's supporting cast. The project is the narrative feature debut of Lance Oppenheim, who directs a script from writer Ajon Singh. Previously, Oppenheim directed several well-reviewed documentaries, including "Some Kind of Heaven," "Spermworld," and the HBO limited series "Ren Faire."
"Primetime" is the second film in two years to tackle the rise and fall of "To Catch a Predator." Last year, David Osit's documentary "Predators," which told the story using raw footage from the series and interviews with former members of its production as well as Hansen, premiered at Sundance to critical acclaim, before receiving a theatrical release from MTV Documentary Films. IndieWire listed it as one of the 25 best films of the year .
"Primetime" will make its world premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival this September, where it will play in the festival's main competition. A24 will release the film in theaters on September 25.
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