| Roofman | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Derek Cianfrance |
| Screenplay by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Andrij Parekh |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Christopher Bear |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 126 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $19 million[3][4] |
| Box office | $34.3 million[5][6] |
Roofman is a 2025 American crime film directed by Derek Cianfrance. It is based on the real-life spree robber Jeffrey Manchester, played by Channing Tatum, who hid out in a toy store after escaping from prison. The film also stars Kirsten Dunst, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, and Peter Dinklage, with Ben Mendelsohn, Uzo Aduba, and Jimmy O. Yang appearing in supporting roles.
Roofman had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2025 and was theatrically released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on October 10, 2025. It received positive reviews from critics and grossed $34 million worldwide.
Plot
[edit]In 1998, Jeffrey Manchester is a divorced U.S. Army veteran living in North Carolina. Struggling to provide for his three young children, Jeffrey is reminded by Steve, his friend and fellow member of the 82nd Airborne Division, of his powerful skills of observation. Jeffrey uses his knack for noticing and exploiting routines to rob a McDonald's fast food restaurant, breaking in through the roof at night. Surprising the morning shift, Jeffrey orders the employees into the walk-in freezer but treats them kindly, even handing over his own coat to the manager to wear before escaping with the contents of the safe.
Over the next two years, Jeffrey uses the same strategy over 40 times, capturing the attention of the authorities and the media as the mysterious "Roofman". Arrested at his daughter's birthday party after attempting to flee, he is sentenced to 45 years in prison while his ex-wife Talana ends his contact with their children.
Using his ingenuity, he escapes prison. He conceals himself inside a Toys R Us store, subsisting on a lot of candy and observing the employees.
As a fugitive, he has limited options for living arrangements, but he begins a relationship with one of the unsuspecting employees, Leigh. Stealing toys to donate to the toy drive Leigh has organized at her church, Jeffrey claims to be John, a visiting New Yorker. Missing his own children, Jeffrey makes an effort to bond with Leigh's daughters.
Desperate to forge a new life and identity, Jeffrey pays for a fake passport by robbing the store where he hides and where Leigh works. She recognizes him (but doesn't say anything) even though he planned to conduct the robbery while she was not there. Eventually he is caught, and an additional 32 years is added to his prison sentence.
During the credits, photographs of the real Jeffrey Manchester are shown, along with footage from local news reports in 2004 related to the case, and interviews with the real Leigh as well as others who interacted with Manchester.
Cast
[edit]- Channing Tatum as Jeffrey Manchester / "John Zorin", a former United States Army non-commissioned officer turned criminal
- Kirsten Dunst as Leigh Wainscott, a Toys "R" Us employee, single mother and Jeffrey's love interest
- LaKeith Stanfield as Steve, Jeff's friend and former sergeant, now running a fake ID operation
- Juno Temple as Michelle, Steve's girlfriend
- Peter Dinklage as Mitch, manager of the Toys "R" Us store
- Ben Mendelsohn as Ron Smith, pastor of Leigh's church
- Uzo Aduba as Eileen Smith, Ron's wife
- Emory Cohen as Otis, a Toys "R" Us employee
- Melonie Diaz as Talana, Jeff's ex-wife
- Molly Price as Sergeant Katherine Scheimreif, a police officer leading the hunt for Jeffrey
- Lily Collias as Lindsay Wainscott, Leigh's elder daughter
- Kennedy Moyer as Dee Wainscott, Leigh's younger daughter
- Alissa Marie Pearson as Becky, Jeffrey's daughter
- Tony Revolori as Duane, manager of a McDonald's robbed by Jeffrey
- Kathryn Stamas as Kami, one of the church goers who initially meets Manchester
- Jimmy O. Yang as a used-car salesman
- Punkie Johnson as a police officer
Several people involved in the real-life story of Jeffrey Manchester have cameos in the film. Charles Cummings, who drove the truck used by Manchester to escape from prison, appears as the same truck driver; Katherine Scheimreif, Manchester's arresting officer, appears as a retired police officer at a church singles event; Leigh Moore, née Wainscott, appears as a crossing guard; Ron Smith, Wainscott's pastor, appears as a pawn shop employee; and Chris Kimbell, a SWAT officer, appears as one of the police officers who discover Manchester's hiding place.[7]
Production
[edit]The project was announced in February 2024 with Derek Cianfrance as director from a script he wrote with Kirt Gunn. The screenplay was based on an earlier script by David Stephens and Peter Petrucci.[8] Dylan Sellers and Chris Parker produced through the Limelight production company alongside Jamie Patricof and Lynette Howell Taylor. Channing Tatum was to star.[9] Ben Mendelsohn and Kirsten Dunst joined the cast in September 2024.[10][11] In October 2024, Miramax acquired distribution rights to the project, with parent Paramount Pictures distributing on its behalf in the United States and United Kingdom with financing handled by Aperture Media Partners and FilmNation Entertainment handling international sales.[12] Peter Dinklage, Uzo Aduba, Juno Temple, LaKeith Stanfield, Molly Price, Melonie Diaz, Lily Collias, Emory Cohen, and Tony Revolori joined the cast.[13][14]
Principal photography began on October 24, 2024, in Gastonia, North Carolina.[15] Filming wrapped on December 12, 2024.[16] Cinematographer Andrij Parekh shot the film on 35mm, marking his second collaboration with Cianfrance.[17] Some of the filming locations include Freedom Park, Mecklenburg County Jail North, and the Gaston County Courthouse. Jim Helton edited the film.[18] Christopher Bear composed the score for the film.[19]
Release
[edit]Roofman had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2025.[20][21] It was released in the United States on October 10, 2025,[22] moved from its original release date of October 3, 2025.[23]
Reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]As of November 20, 2025[update], Roofman has grossed $23 million in the United States and Canada and $11 million in other territories, for a total of $34 million worldwide.[5][6]
Critical response
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 87% of 214 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "A disarmingly sweet tonal gearshift for director Derek Cianfrance, Roofman is shaggy as a narrative but expertly tailored to Channing Tatum's strengths as an eminently likable leading man."[24] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[25] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[26]
Accolades
[edit]| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film Independent Spirit Awards | February 15, 2026 | Best Supporting Performance | Kirsten Dunst | Pending | [27] |
| Set Decorators Society of America Awards | February 21, 2026 | Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Contemporary Feature Film | Kendall Anderson and Inbal Weinberg | Pending | [28] |
References
[edit]- ^ Rooney, David (September 8, 2025). "Roofman Review: Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst's Chemistry Sweetens Romance Veined With Melancholy in Derek Cianfrance's True-Crime Caper". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
- ^ "Roofman (2025)". Irish Film Classification Office. August 22, 2025. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
- ^ Tartaglione, Anthony D'Alessandro,Nancy (October 8, 2025). "'Tron: Ares' Hopes To Pop A Wheelie At Weekend B.O. With $80M-$90M Global Opening – Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Rubin, Rebecca (October 8, 2025). "Box Office: 'Tron: Ares' Aims for $50 Million Debut, J. Lo's 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' Targeting $2 Million Start". Variety. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
- ^ a b "Roofman". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
- ^ a b "Roofman – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
- ^ Combemale, Leslie (October 13, 2025). ""Roofman" Writer/Director Derek Cianfrance on Casting Real People from Jeffrey Manchester's Incredible True Story". The Credits. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
- ^ Levy, Carl (April 3, 2025). "Channing Tatum Teases Roofman, Calls It 'Devastating, Emotional, and Somehow Hilarious'". Yahoo Entertainment.
- ^ Gonzalez, Umberto (February 8, 2024). "Derek Cianfrance to Direct Channing Tatum in 'Roofman'". Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ Vardhan, Harsh (September 26, 2024). "Ben Mendelsohn Joins Channing Tatum in 'Roofman'". thecinemaholic. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (September 30, 2024). "Kirsten Dunst Joins Channing Tatum In True Crime Movie 'Roofman' From Director Derek Cianfrance". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Kroll, Justin; Fleming, Mike Jr (October 2, 2024). "Miramax Lands Distribution Rights To Derek Cianfrance's Next Film 'Roofman' Starring Channing Tatum And Kirsten Dunst". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (October 21, 2024). "Peter Dinklage Joins Channing Tatum In 'Roofman' From Derek Cianfrance And Miramax". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (October 31, 2024). "Uzo Aduba, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield & Juno Temple Among Final Additions To Miramax And Paramount's True Crime Pic 'Roofman'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ Collins, Chloe (October 29, 2024). "How long Gaston residents can expect to see cameras rolling in the area". Retrieved October 30, 2024.
- ^ Geisinger, Gabreilla (August 16, 2024). "'Roofman' starring Channing Tatum to film in North Carolina this autumn". Retrieved August 16, 2024.
- ^ Desowitz, Bill (March 12, 2025). "20 Movies Shot on Film in 2025: Separate Safdie Brothers, Paul Thomas Anderson, and More". IndieWire. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
- ^ "Jim Helston Resume" (PDF). Worldwide Production Agency. April 30, 2025. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ "Christopher Bear Scoring Derek Cianfrance's 'Roofman'". Film Music Reporter. August 12, 2025. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
- ^ "Roofman". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 16, 2025). "TIFF Unveils Round Of World Premieres With 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' & Pics From Derek Cianfrance, Paul Greengrass, Nicholas Hytner, Hikari & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 3, 2025). "Warner Bros Moves Legendary's 'Animal Friends' To Summer 2026". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (October 30, 2024). "Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst Movie 'Roofman' Sets Fall 2025 Release Date". Variety. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
- ^ "Roofman". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ "Roofman". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
- ^ "Home". CinemaScore. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
- ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (December 3, 2025). "Spirit Award Nominees include 'Sorry, Baby', 'Peter Hujar's Day', 'Train Dreams', 'Twinless', and 'The Plague'". IndieWire. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
- ^ Tangcay, Jazz (January 5, 2026). "'Marty Supreme' and 'Bugonia' Among Set Decorators Society of America Award Nominees". Variety. Retrieved January 5, 2026.