Robert Pattinson thriller Primetime premieres in Venice

Robert Pattinson's dark thriller "Primetime" premieres at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday, with the British actor playing a paedophile-hunting TV presenter in a film based on the scandal-hit NBC reality show "To Catch a Predator".

The film is directed by 30-year-old Lance Oppenheim and is Pattinson's first movie with a producer credit. It was made with independent US studio A24 and is in the main Venice festival competition before a planned theatrical release later in September.

Pattinson told reporters in Venice that he was attached to the project from the beginning and to the people involved. Oppenheim said Pattinson was not only the leading actor but a close collaborator who took part in casting, production and editing.

"To Catch a Predator" ran from 2004 to 2007 and featured presenter Chris Hansen confronting people lured to fake meetings with children in front of television cameras. After seeing a trailer for "Primetime", Hansen told Entertainment Tonight that Pattinson had clearly practised imitating him and that the trailer showed "a pretty good imitation", though he called it "overly dramatic". Hansen has also hinted at possible legal action over what he suggested was an unflattering portrayal.

Pattinson said the role was challenging and that the shoot was squeezed in before he began filming Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey". He said he found the accent difficult.

American indie folk singer Phoebe Bridgers appears in a cameo as Hansen's wife. Pattinson said he was impressed by how quickly she understood the film's tone.

Pattinson's 2026 films also include "The Drama" with Zendaya and "The Odyssey", in which he plays Antinous. He is also due to appear in the third "Dune" film in December.