Robert Pattinson becomes TV journalist Chris Hansen in Primetime, a crime drama which explores the boundaries between morality, ethics, and entertainment.
After an electric screening at the Venice Film Festival, followed by a nearly eight-minute standing ovation, Primetime has entered through the big gates as one of the undisputable films of the year. This new crime drama marks the opera prima of director Lance Oppenheim, who decided to tell the story of Chris Hansen, the real-life TV journalist who hosted To Catch a Predator, confronting men suspected of trying to meet minors.
Robert Pattinson plays a fictionalized version of Hansen in a biopic which awkwardly explores the line between investigative journalism and entertainment. The journalist is portrayed almost as an opportunistic maniac, obsessed with bringing his program to NBC’s primetime while pushing the boundaries of morality and ethics in his pursuit of the most morbid story. Meanwhile, a brilliant Skyler Gisondo serves as bait for the predators, and Phoebe Bridgers makes her fiction-film acting debut as a member of Hansen’s TV production team.
Inspired by one of the darkest shows in American television history, the production was filmed primarily in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the cast and crew were photographed shooting together. Let’s analyze all the specific locations used in Primetime, a promising cinematic success.
French Quarter, New Orleans
Photo by @pattinson.photosThe corner of Bourbon Street and St Ann Street, in New Orleans’ French Quarter, became one of the shooting locations for Primetime. Founded in 1718, it is often described as the Crown Jewel of New Orleans and is also known as the Vieux Carré or “Old Square”. Its streets blend the old with the new, lined with modern boutiques, antique stores, historic restaurants, and a reimagined French Market.
New Orleans’ oldest neighborhood stretches roughly thirteen blocks along the Mississippi River, creating a remarkably walkable enclave where centuries-old architecture, live jazz, and historic landmarks offer glimpses into the city’s extraordinary past. The French Quarter is home to some of New Orleans’ most significant buildings, including the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis, the oldest continuously active Roman Catholic cathedral in the United States.
Algiers, New Orleans
Photo by @pattinson.photosThe crew was spotted in Algiers, a historic neighborhood sitting across the Mississippi River and connected to downtown by one of the nation’s oldest ferry lines. Every corner of this area of New Orleans feels like a living testimony to the city’s past: Victorian cottages, jazz venues which recall Algiers’ important contribution to the city’s musical heritage, and charming ferry rides offering incredible views to the skyline.
This neighborhood was used for one of Primetime’s crime-related sting sequences, with the production staging simulated gunfire under police supervision on the 1000 block of Patterson Road. Thanks to Algiers’ distinctive yet relatively understated aspect, with its quiet residential streets, it could convincingly stand in for locations far beyond Louisiana. Its adaptable scenery helped the production recreate the suburban environment associated with places such as New York, California, Florida, and Texas.
Chalmette, New Orleans
Photo by @pattinson.photosAnother location where the crew was spotted was Chalmette, located in St. Bernard Parish, just downriver from New Orleans. Unlike the city’s more recognizable communities, Chalmette has a distinctly industrial and suburban character, almost feeling like a separate community from New Orleans. Chalmette is deeply connected to the distinctive Isleño heritage of St. Bernard Parish. Canary Islanders settled the region under Spanish rule, establishing farms throughout the zone and developing a way of life tied to the land and wetlands. That heritage remains visible today in the area’s traditions, cuisine, and cultural institutions.
