Skyler Gisondo says starring in the true crime drama Primetime helped him prepare for his return to the DCU in the much less intense The People v. Gorilla Grodd.
"It's quite a change-up," Gisondo tells GamesRadar+ when asked about making the switch from his Primetime character Dan back to the effortlessly cool, but equally plucky, Jimmy Olsen. "I actually went straight from – not straight, [after Primetime] the next thing was Focker-in-Law... which is just, tonally, a very different movie."
"Now being back doing Jimmy Olsen, and [The People v. Gorilla Grodd] is like a mockumentary, true crime thing, so it's very Atlanta-adjacent, and it is funny," Gisondo continues. "Rob said something in one of our interviews where, in The Odyssey, he hears a little bit of Chris Hansen's voice sometimes, and you're like, 'Oh right, [...] I gotta shake that off...'
"But no, it's been good. And Primetime was great. You know, I feel more prepared for this show now, operating this more, like, vérité kind of thing."
Primetime, directed by Lance Oppenheim, stars Robert Pattinson as a fictionalized version of presenter Chris Hansen, the host of the reality television series To Catch a Predator.
In the series, which aired from 2004 to 2008, Hansen worked with an advocacy group that targeted men who solicited sex from minors in online chatrooms. The movie itself is not a biopic or origin story of the show, and is instead based on the Esquire article, "Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die," which details the controversial sting operation that resulted in the suicide of an elected official.
Gisondo plays Dan Plum, a young, aspiring actor who auditions for the show, not realizing he'd be playing the decoy that lures these predatory men to their inevitable arrest. While Pattinson has been (rightfully) lauded for his performance, it's Gisondo's character who is the true heart of the film. Dan's innocence, naiveté, and big Hollywood dreams contrast with Hansen's ruthless quest for both justice and TV ratings. It's a bit of a turn from roving reporter Jimmy Olsen, who made his DCU debut in James Gunn's Superman. In The People v. Gorilla Grodd, Jimmy covers the case of a potentially wrongfully accused Grodd via true crime podcast.
Primetime is out in theaters on September 25. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2026 and beyond.
