Perennial favorite in American indie cinema, we’ll definitely be getting some Derek Cianfrance cinema in 2025 as production began this week on Roofman. Deadline reports that Kirsten Dunst will play the person who is admired from afar (or from above) in the true-life story of Jeffrey Manchester – who spent months living undetected in a makeshift hideout inside a Toys “R” Us store, where he would sleep and plan further crimes. Channing Tatum takes on the lead role. Cianfrance wrote the project with Kirt Gunn (who has a producer credit in Sound of Metal). Limelight’s Dylan Sellers and Chris Parker produce alongside Jamie Patricof (Hunting Lane) and Lynette Howell Taylor (51 Entertainment). This will be ready for the fall festival season.
This is based on the remarkable story of Jeffrey Manchester, an eccentric and charming serial robber who broke into more than 60 McDonald’s overnight via their roofs, then emptied the cash register in the morning after herding staff into freezers. The former U.S. Army Reserve officer became known as the ‘Rooftop Robber’ or ‘Roofman’ and was known for his gentle demeanor and for rarely resorting to violence. Dunst plays an employee at the Toys ‘R Us who is struggling to make ends meet and to provide for her two girls, Dee and Lindsay. She has no idea that Jeffrey has been secretly watching her from inside the store and slowly fallen for her. When she meets him, she’s charmed and finds him endearing, and the two form a serious bond until she finds out the truth about him – but even that can’t stop her for caring for him.