Rusty Shackleford

Lance Oppenheim says Chris Hansen’s reaction to “Primetime” is “exactly what the film is about.” "When he first heard about it, he was quite excited. He was at CrimeCon saying, 'I’m sorry, I’m not Robert Pattinson, but I’m Chris Hansen.' Several weeks later, we wanted to show it to him and there was a fairly standard NDA he didn’t want to sign." "Since then, he has done what Chris Hansen, the showman, does and has said a lot more about it. His reaction to the film right now is exactly what the film is about. I was a fan of Chris Hansen, and I still am. That’s why I wanted to make this film. Yes, he’s a journalist. Yes, he’s an entertainer. But he’s also an artist. He made this hall of mirrors, with adult actors pretending to be children and sets that looked like something out of 'Blue Velvet.' Without that show, I don’t think I would be making films the way I do." variety.com/2026/film/awards…