Robert Pattinson has responded to criticism from Chris Hansen over his portrayal of the former To Catch a Predator host in the upcoming film Primetime.
Pattinson was asked about Hansen’s reaction to the film while attending the Venice International Film Festival.
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Hansen has previously criticised the movie, saying he was not consulted about the project and was not allowed to watch it without signing a restrictive NDA.
He also said he believes Pattinson’s portrayal is overly dramatic, despite admitting that the actor had done a good job of imitating him.
Speaking about Hansen’s comments, Pattinson said: “I hope he likes the movie… I would hope the amount of inspiration his character has given a lot of people for years is some kind of compliment.”
Hansen previously told ET: “Obviously, he has practiced imitating me, and while I think it’s overly dramatic, I think there is a pretty good imitation there in the trailer.”
However, he has taken issue with some of the scenes in the film, claiming Pattinson’s character says and does things that he never did.
“He’s saying things I never said and doing things I never did, and that’s not who I am,” Hansen said.
“I’m a nice guy, except when it comes to criminals and predators.”
He also stressed that Primetime is a work of fiction and is only based on real-life events.
The film stars Pattinson as Hansen during the height of To Catch a Predator, the controversial NBC series which saw Hansen confront men suspected of attempting to meet underage children.
Primetime has already received strong early reviews, with the film currently sitting at 94 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Critics have particularly praised Pattinson’s performance, with one review describing it as a “stunning demonstration of the actor’s range.”
Pattinson has had a busy year, appearing in The Drama and The Odyssey, with Dune: Part Three also on the way.
He is also currently filming The Batman Part II, returning as Bruce Wayne for the sequel to the 2022 film.
Primetime is directed by Sean Price Williams and is set to be released in cinemas on September 25.
