Well, this is certainly one way to get a captive audience. Chris Hansen, the man synonymous with catching predators on NBC’s To Catch a Predator, has reportedly purchased ad time before every single screening of A24’s new thriller Primetime. That’s right - if you buy a ticket to see the film this weekend, you’re getting a personal PSA from Hansen before the studio logo even flickers onto the screen.

It’s a bold, slightly surreal marketing move that blends true-crime dread with the kind of guerrilla advertising you’d expect from a micro-budget indie, not a prestige studio. But A24 has never exactly played by the rules, and teaming up with Hansen suggests they’re leaning hard into the film’s themes of surveillance, suspicion, and digital-age paranoia. The ads aren’t just a generic “stay safe online” spot either - they’re reportedly tailored to the movie’s plot, which follows a late-night news host who gets tangled up in a sting operation gone horribly wrong.

A Weirdly Perfect Pairing

Here’s the thing: Primetime isn’t a documentary, and it’s not a true-crime retelling. It’s a fictional thriller, but the marketing is blurring the line between reality and performance. Hansen showing up before every screening feels less like a traditional sponsorship and more like an interactive pre-show experience. You’re sitting there with your popcorn, the lights dim, and suddenly Chris Hansen is staring at you from the screen, asking you to take a hard look at your own digital footprint. That’s a chilling way to start a movie about moral ambiguity.

Sources close to the campaign say Hansen’s involvement was his own idea, pitched directly to A24 after he screened an early cut of Primetime. He reportedly loved how the film tackled the ethics of public shaming and the rush to judgment, themes he’s all too familiar with from his decades in the field. The ad spots are described as “conversational” rather than preachy - Hansen isn’t wagging his finger at the audience. He’s more like a grim tour guide, walking you through the dark alleyways of modern media before you strap in for the ride.

Not Your Average Pre-Roll

Most movie ads these days are loud trailers for soda or cars, designed to be ignored while you check your phone. Hansen’s segments apparently do the opposite - they demand your full attention. Early reactions from test screenings and premiere nights suggest audiences are genuinely taken aback when the familiar-faced host shows up, speaking directly to the camera like he’s about to catch someone red-handed. There’s a nervous laugh that ripples through the theater, then dead silence. It’s uncomfortable in the best way, which is exactly the vibe A24’s marketing team wants to cultivate.

The campaign has already sparked a frenzy on social media, with moviegoers posting about the unexpected “Hansen surprise” as they exit theaters. Some are calling it the most effective pre-roll ad since the AMC popcorn bucket became a meme. Others are just confused, wondering if they accidentally walked into a Dateline taping. Either way, it’s working - you can’t buy this kind of organic buzz, especially for a film that’s trying to carve out space in a crowded late-summer release slate.

The Bigger Picture

It’s worth noting that Hansen’s brand has evolved significantly in recent years. He’s no longer just the guy with the slightly menacing “Why don’t you take a seat?” catchphrase. He’s pivoted to hosting true-crime podcasts and YouTube investigations, building a new audience that’s younger and more digitally savvy than his TV-era viewers. That crossover appeal makes him a perfect ambassador for a movie about a media personality whose public persona consumes his private life. There’s a meta layer here - Hansen is acting as both the film’s promoter and its living, breathing thematic example.

Will this ad strategy pay off at the box office? That remains to be seen. But in an era where studios spend millions on billboards that nobody looks at, Hansen’s approach is refreshingly intimate. You literally cannot escape him if you’re seeing the movie - his ads run before every single screening, matinee or midnight show. No exceptions. That kind of ubiquity is either brilliant or completely unhinged, and honestly, for A24, those two things usually go hand in hand.

So if you’re planning to catch Primetime this week, brace yourself for a little extra help with your pre-show anxiety. Bring your popcorn, turn your phone off, and maybe think twice about your search history before the lights go down. Chris Hansen will be watching.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter