Former NBC and CNN executive Jeff Zucker made his feature film debut at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, appearing as himself in Lance Oppenheim's "Primetime" for A24. The film, which stars Robert Pattinson as "To Catch a Predator" host Chris Hansen, premiered on the Lido with Zucker attending in person to support the project, calling the experience "very surreal, but a lot of fun."

In the film, Zucker plays himself during his tenure running NBC Entertainment, offering Hansen and his producer (Merritt Wever) a coveted primetime slot opposite ABC's "Lost". Zucker, who has previously played himself on television shows including "My Name Is Earl" and "Fat Actress", said the movie role was "a once in a lifetime opportunity" he couldn't turn down. He also has a personal connection to this year's festival: his company Media Res co-produced opening-night film "Ink", directed by Danny Boyle, making it "a very big year" for him at Venice.