{
  "id": 16235284,
  "title": "If Lance Oppenheim didn't love Chris Hansen, why would he get Batman to play him, huh?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/if-lance-oppenheim-didnt-love-chris-hansen-why-would-he-get-batman-to",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-23T20:44:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The A.V. Club",
    "slug": "the-a-v-club",
    "url": "https://www.avclub.com/primetime-lance-oppenheim-chris-hansen-batman"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Lance Oppenheim, known for his unique films such as \"Some Kind Of Heaven\" and \"Ren Faire,\" is currently embroiled in a peculiar situation in 2026. He has directed two major projects that have captured the public's attention: a scripted drama, Primetime, and a documentary sensation, You Can See Everything. Despite not being the central figure in the press tours for either film - thanks to his collaborators Robert Pattinson and Nathan Fielder - Oppenheim has sparked some intriguing questions about his creative choices. One such question is why he hired Batman to play Chris Hansen, the star of the acclaimed show \"To Catch A Predator.\" In a recent GQ interview, Oppenheim revealed that he loves Hansen and his show, and that he wanted to create a superhero movie starring Hansen. He described the film as a love letter to Hansen, aiming to capture the essence of a crusader, entertainer, and meme. Oppenheim also discussed how Hansen sees the movie as a villainization of himself, which he denies. The director's deep affection for Hansen and his show is evident, even as he navigates the complexities of this unusual project.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}