Robert Pattinson's performance in A24's Primetime has critics buzzing, and even his co-stars admit it's something special. The film, which chronicles the rise of NBC's To Catch a Predator to primetime glory, features Pattinson as a frenetic Chris Hansen leading the charge against online predators. But behind the scenes, the project was a labor of love, with Pattinson also serving as a producer and spending years developing the story with director Lance Oppenheim.
In a recent interview with Collider, Pattinson and co-star Skyler Gisondo opened up about the film's lengthy development, their creative process, and the unpredictable energy Pattinson brings to every take. They also touched on the highly anticipated sequel to The Batman, which Pattinson says is taking a "real left turn."
Years in the Making
Pattinson explained that he and his producing partners—Ajon Singh, Lance Oppenheim, and Brighton McCloskey—spent countless hours honing the script. "We had one night at my house where we were just discussing how to develop the script," Pattinson recalled. "We just sat there for like 10 hours discussing what the best version of this story would be, and it was just so exciting talking to him about it."
That enthusiasm for constant communication became a hallmark of the project. "I haven't worked with any director who's willing to just be talking and talking and talking," Pattinson said. "I must have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours talking to Lance about this movie now over years—and without getting sick of him, which is kind of astonishing."
Gisondo's Turning Point
For Gisondo, who plays Dan Plumb in the film, the character's moral erosion reaches its darkest point when Dan tries to emulate Chris Hansen. "Maybe the moment that he tries to become Chris, in some way, for me," Gisondo said. "It wasn't evident to me that Dan's trying to even do the voice in that take right away."
Gisondo revealed that he asked Pattinson to read lines in his voice to help him prepare for that pivotal scene. "Rob was on set, thankfully, for another scene, and I remember being like, 'Could you read all of these lines in your voice?' And you were so stoked about it, and you were really helpful."
Rolling the Dice on Every Take
Pattinson is known for his improvisational style, and he explained why he prefers to "roll the dice" with each take. "It gets a little scary for me when you know what you're trying to achieve and you're going, 'Oh, I need to hit this line in a certain way,'" he said. "But if you can kind of rustle yourself up before a take where you can be freshly reactive to everything, it seems like a safer bet to me."
He compared the approach to surfing. "You're just hoping you'll get a good wave, and then hopefully something good happens. But sometimes you just fall on your ass." Pattinson acknowledged that not all directors embrace this method, but with Primetime, Oppenheim was happy to let the actors experiment. "We had so many different cameras going and stuff, something's going to get captured somewhere."
What's Next for The Batman?
Pattinson also teased Matt Reeves' sequel to The Batman, describing it as a "real left turn" from the first film. While he didn't reveal specifics, fans are eager to see where the Dark Knight goes next. For more on Pattinson's bold career choices, check out our analysis of his recent roles.
Primetime is now in theaters, and it's already generating awards buzz. For more on the film's wild takes and the cast's reactions, see our behind-the-scenes look.
