Primetime West Coast premiere opens Beyond Fest – A24’s new film Primetime brought filmmakers, cast members and guests together for its West Coast premiere at the American Cinematheque.
The Wednesday, 23 September event served as the opening night of Beyond Fest. After the screening, director Lance Oppenheim joined The Big Picture podcast host Sean Fennessey for a conversation about the film.
The premiere marks the latest stop in the film’s festival campaign before its theatrical release on 29 October. For Australian film audiences, the event offers a closer look at the talent behind one of A24’s major spring releases, led on screen by Robert Pattinson.
Primetime arrives at Beyond Fest
Oppenheim attended with writer Ajon Singh and cast members Alex Winter, Creed Bratton, Jonathan Lipnicki and Eric Rahill. Members of the creative team included cinematographer David Bolen, producer William Iannaccone, editor Daniel Garber, composer Ari Balouzian and casting representatives Francine Maisler and Molly Rose.
Other guests included Austin Abrams, Omar Apollo, Lionel Boyce, Ayo Edebiri, Nathan Fielder, Alana Haim, Jason Reitman, Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie, Jon Watts, Gus Van Sant and Simon Rex.
The opening-night screening filled the historic cinema before Fennessey and Oppenheim took the stage. Their post-film discussion placed the premiere itself within Beyond Fest’s wider celebration of genre filmmaking and the American Cinematheque’s programme.
Robert Pattinson plays Chris Hansen
Inspired by true events, Primetime places Robert Pattinson in the role of television host Chris Hansen. The story begins in 2006 as Hansen sets out to make television history through the programme that became To Catch a Predator.
Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers, Matthew Maher and Bokeem Woodbine also star. Oppenheim directs from a screenplay by Singh, based on an article by journalist Luke Dittrich.
Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Fred Berger, William Iannaccone, Pattinson, Brighton McCloskey, Lars Knudsen and Ari Aster produced the film.
Primetime release date
A24 will release Primetime in theatres on 29 October 2026. The film follows its festival appearances with a cinema release that places Pattinson’s performance and the programme’s controversial place in television history at the centre of the story.
For more TV Central cinema news, head here. Visit the official A24 Primetime page for public release information.
