Robert Pattinson insists he’s a fan of Chris Hansen — though the feeling isn’t mutual. The actor, who plays the real-life To Catch a Predator host in the new A24 film Primetime, told ET that he was drawn to the role not out of mockery, but admiration. ‘I mean, it’s weird. I was trying to make him cool. He is cool. I’m a fan,’ Pattinson said, adding that his interpretation was shaped by an aesthetic instinct. He acknowledged the disconnect: ‘What I think is cool might not be cool to other people.’ The film, based on a 2007 Esquire article by Luke Dittrich and directed by Lance Oppenheim, follows Hansen during the height of the controversial NBC series, which used hidden cameras to lure adult men seeking sex with minors online. Pattinson emphasized that he wasn’t portraying Hansen as a caricature, but as someone whose work left a lasting mark. He pointed to audience reactions at early screenings, especially among younger viewers. As proof of the film’s impact. ‘Everybody’s doing Chris Hansen impressions, and they’re gonna be putting Chris Hansen posters on their walls,’ he said. He noted that many of these fans were discovering Hansen for the first time at the same age he did. ‘And then [they] go back, and look at his work, and rediscover or discover all the important work he’s doing as well.’ But Hansen hasn’t shared the enthusiasm. The Dateline alum has publicly criticized the film, calling it a capitalization of his name. He’s considered legal action, purchased ad space before screenings to promote his own true-crime streaming platform TruBlu, where he continues conducting sting operations. His response has been described as a public rollercoaster, shifting from skepticism to outright disapproval. The film, now playing in theaters, presents a dramatized version of Hansen’s career, but whether it honors or exploits its subject remains a point of contention. Pattinson, for his part, stands by his intent: to show a man who changed television. And possibly law enforcement, with a single question.