Director Lance Oppenheim revealed how he persuaded Robert Pattinson to star in Primetime. The director sent 200 Zyn cans to Pattinson’s home to convince him to play Chris Hansen. Oppenheim used the unusual Zyn shortage to help secure Pattinson’s involvement in the film.
How Lance Oppenheim persuaded Robert Pattinson to play Chris Hansen
In an interview with Vulture, Lance Oppenheim claimed that Pattinson was struggling with a Zyn addiction. He shared how that helped him convince Pattinson to star in Primetime. He said, “Rob, at the time, was grappling with a Zyn addiction.” Zyn is a nicotine pouch brand. When Oppenheim approached Pattinson, its products were in short supply in the U.S.
With help from a friend in Canada, Oppenheim arranged to send 200 cans to Pattinson’s home in Los Angeles.
After the delivery, Oppenheim dropped off the Primetime script at Pattinson’s home. He included a letter that began, “Dear Chris Han-Zyn,”
Pattinson has generated Oscar buzz for his portrayal of “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen in A24’s “Primetime.”
The actor had initially planned to stay behind the camera for some time.
However, after reading the script, Pattinson called Oppenheim to tell him he would accept the role. Oppenheim said, “It was like LeBron making the announcement that he was joining the Heat.”
The movie reportedly earned $50 million worldwide against a $15 million production budget. Its performance exceeded box-office expectations. (via Variety)
Critics generally praised Pattinson’s performance. Variety critic Owen Gleiberman described Pattinson as a “new kind of movie star” and praised his performance.
Primetime is a psychological thriller and media satire inspired by events involving To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen in 2006.
However, Hansen criticized the film, describing the portrayal of himself as a “complete work of fiction.”
