NDA Dispute Stalls Screening
Chris Hansen Skips A24 Screening Following Dispute Over Restrictive NDA Terms
Key Points
Deadline challenges Hansen's claim by stating the NDA shown to preview audiences is a standard preview NDA, not an extraordinary demand; the article notes the form is used a week in advance to view an unreleased film to prevent spoilers and protect IP, and that Fox News host Jesse Watters was reportedly denied a screen after refusing to sign.
TheWrap reports Hansen’s lawyers had already reviewed the document and described it as 'very restrictive,' with Hansen saying, 'I’ve never seen anything quite like it.'
Variety notes a key discrepancy: the agreement Hansen describes would be a much larger legal matter than a standard preview NDA and would not be asked of other individuals screening the film, including press and third-party marketing agencies.
The film Primetime is slated to premiere at the Venice Film Festival before a Sept. 25 theatrical release, with Robert Pattinson portraying Hansen.
Chris Hansen, former host of To Catch a Predator, claims he walked out of a private screening of A24's Primetime without watching the film after refusing to sign what he called a very restrictive NDA. Fox News reported that Hansen said lawyers wanted him to sign away rights to his name, image, and potential legal claims stemming from the movie. However, A24 and multiple media outlets describe the agreement as a standard preview NDA—a routine form used to prevent spoilers and protect intellectual property before theatrical release.
The dispute centers on whether the agreement crossed normal boundaries. Variety notes that asking someone to sign away their identity rights would be a much larger legal matter than a standard preview NDA and would not be imposed on other screeners, including press and marketing agencies. The Hollywood Reporter reported that A24 sources said Hansen's attorneys had already reviewed the paperwork before he decided to leave, and that Deadline confirmed the form is a routine preview document used across the industry.
The Screening That Never Happened
Hansen attended a private screening event for Primetime, the film dramatizing his life with actor Robert Pattinson in the lead role. The studio presented him with a legal agreement to sign before viewing the unreleased film. Hansen claims the NDA went far beyond typical protections, asking him to waive fundamental rights. He refused to sign and left without seeing the movie, later telling Fox News he had never encountered such demands.
TheWrap reported that Hansen's own lawyers had reviewed the document and described it as very restrictive. However, Deadline clarified that the form shown to preview audiences is standard practice—the same type used a week before release to prevent spoilers and guard intellectual property. Deadline also noted that Fox News host Jesse Watters was similarly denied a screening after declining to sign.
What the Disagreement Actually Reveals
The core issue is whether A24 imposed extraordinary demands on Hansen specifically, or applied the same standard agreement to all preview attendees. Variety noted a key discrepancy: if Hansen's account were accurate, the studio would be asking him to sign away legal rights that no typical screener would face. Press outlets, marketing agencies, and other viewers would not receive such terms.
A source close to A24 told outlets that the studio simply asked Hansen to sign a routine NDA that his attorneys had already reviewed. This framing suggests no special treatment—just standard industry practice. The disagreement hinges on how restrictive the agreement actually was and whether it uniquely targeted Hansen because of his connection to the film's subject matter.
The Movie's Path to Release
Primetime, directed by Sofia Coppola, dramatizes Hansen's famous confrontation episodes from To Catch a Predator. Robert Pattinson plays Hansen in the film, which is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival before its theatrical release on September 25. The screening controversy has kept the project in the news cycle as the studio manages preview events and manages expectations around the film.
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