Robert Pattinson transforms uncannily into To Catch a Predator's Chris Hansen in Primetime trailer as thunderstruck fans call him the 'GOAT'

Robert Pattinson vanished into the role of To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen in a blood-pumping teaser for the A24 film Primetime.

To Catch a Predator was a recurring segment on Dateline NBC in which Hansen used adult decoys pretending to be minors to ensnare suspected child molesters.

The show ended in ignominy in 2007 after one of its targets, Bill Conradt, killed himself while SWAT was storming his house with Hansen’s camera crew in tow.

Now, nearly two decades later, Pattinson, 40, has uncannily channeled Hansen in the first ever trailer for Primetime, which dropped Wednesday and left viewers in awe.

When Pattinson uttered the iconic line: 'I'm Chris Hansen with Dateline NBC...,' his voice was eerily indistinguishable from the genuine article.

Thunderstruck fans flooded into the comments, exclaiming: 'Robert Pattinson might actually be the GOAT' and 'Oscar nomination for Robert Pattinson.' 

The sneak peek was a propulsive montage showing reenactments of To Catch a Predator segments intercut with behind-the-scenes moments in the control room.

Skyler Gisondo appeared to be playing one of the decoys, and there were glimpses of Phoebe Bridgers, Merritt Wever and Matthew Maher seemingly as crew members.

However it was Pattinson whose performance took center stage as he delivered an impeccable impression of Hansen confronting one of his quarries.

On each edition of To Catch a Predator, a man was lured to an appointed location by the offer of a sexual encounter with a supposed minor who turned out in fact to be one of Hansen's adult decoys.

Hansen would then appear on the scene and expose the meet-up as a sting operation, with the authorities poised nearby to make an arrest.

'What would have happened if I wasn't here?' says the version of Hansen in the Primetime trailer, faultlessly impersonated by Pattinson.

'You see how this looks, right? At the end of the day, a man must be held accountable for the decisions that he makes. Do you agree?'

Then comes Hansen's notorious reveal, instantly recognizable to all his fans: 'Do you watch television? Well, there's something you should know. I'm Chris Hansen with Dateline NBC and you're about to be a part of television history.' 

'No freaking way that’s Pattinson’s voice,' wrote one gobsmacked YouTube commenter when the trailer debuted there. 'Simply unbelievable.'

'Pattinson's range will be studied for decades to come, genuinely insane how talented this guy is,' wrote another as a third shrieked: 'NEW PATTINSON VOICE UNLOCKED.'

'Robert Pattinson is like what if Gary Oldman and Nicolas Cage had a baby. I feel like this might be his best shot at an Oscar in his career so far,' raved still another.

'He's nailed the tone of his voice and everything,' a viewer observed in the comments. 'This is why robert pattinson is such an amazing actor.'

'Pattinson is on a generational run bro. His range is honestly amazing and he's slowly becoming one of the GOAT of this generation,' another concluded.

Primetime is the first fictional feature film directed by Lance Oppenheim, who previously specialized in documentaries.

His resume includes Some Kind of Heaven, a profile of the world's biggest retirement community, and Spermworld, which covers both sperm donors and recipients.

Oppenheim's upcoming To Catch a Predator film, with a cast that includes Anna Faris, is scheduled for a theatrical release in the United States in September.