Hansen Versus A24
Investigative Journalist Chris Hansen Runs Guerrilla Ad Campaign Across A24 Theaters
Anonymous
Key Points
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Hansen’s team reportedly wanted to include a warning in the preshow that Primetime is a dramatized version of real events, but that line was cut due to concerns about blowback from A24.
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There is a public dispute over whether the non-disclosure agreement was a standard pre-release NDA or was unusually restrictive; studios say it was standard and provided a week in advance for comments, while Hansen has claimed it would force him to surrender rights to his name, image, and brand.
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Hansen traveled to A24’s offices for a scheduled private screening at 10 a.m. but walked out without watching any footage after reviewing the paperwork.
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The preshow campaign is being described as guerrilla marketing, designed to capitalize on the film’s rollout to promote TruBlu and Hansen’s predator-investigation programming.
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Hansen publicly spoke about the NDA on Fox News, describing it as problematic and saying he had never seen anything quite like it.
Investigative journalist Chris Hansen has placed preshow advertisements across every theater screening A24's upcoming film Primetime, directing moviegoers to his streaming service TruBlu. Nordic IGN reported the ads feature Hansen promoting his predator-investigation platform via a kitchen-set appearance and QR code, following a public dispute after he rejected a private screening non-disclosure agreement at A24's offices.
The move represents an aggressive marketing play to capitalize on the film's rollout. Primetime, starring Robert Pattinson as Hansen, launches theatrically on September 25. Fox Bangor noted the campaign emerged after tensions over whether A24's standard NDA would restrict Hansen's rights to his name, image, and brand.
A24 Screening Walk-Out Ignites Public Feud
Hansen traveled to A24's offices for a scheduled 10 a.m. private screening but walked out without viewing any footage after reviewing the paperwork. Yahoo reported that Hansen's team reportedly wanted to include a warning that Primetime is a dramatized version of real events, but that line was cut due to A24's concerns about blowback.
Studios contend the NDA was a standard pre-release document provided a week in advance for comments. But Hansen publicly disputed this on Fox News, describing it as problematic and claiming he had never seen anything quite like it. The core disagreement hinges on whether the agreement would force him to cede rights to his name, image, and brand.
Guerrilla Marketing Tied to Film's September Release
People confirmed Hansen is purchasing advertising space for TruBlu across every Primetime screening nationwide. The preshow ads star Hansen himself, using a variation of his signature catchphrase to direct audiences to download the app via QR code. The campaign launches ahead of the film's September 25 theatrical debut.
The strategy directly leverages the movie's rollout to boost TruBlu's visibility. Coming Soon noted that Hansen stars in the ad promoting his new reality series focused on predator investigations, essentially using the theater campaign as a promotional vehicle for his own streaming platform rather than the film itself.
Film Roots in To Catch a Predator Legacy
Primetime, directed by Lance Oppenheim, dramatizes Hansen's career hosting Dateline NBC's To Catch a Predator series. Nordic IGN reported the film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and stars Robert Pattinson in the lead role as Hansen. The movie marks a major Hollywood adaptation of the real-life predator-investigation phenomenon that made Hansen famous.
TruBlu itself continues Hansen's investigative mission in the streaming era, focusing on predator investigations and related true crime content. The preshow campaign underscores his effort to expand that brand beyond television, directly converting theatrical audiences into potential subscribers while simultaneously promoting the film that dramatizes his life and work.
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