Roofman

Roofman
File:Roofman poster.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Derek Cianfrance
Screenplay by	Derek Cianfrance Kirt Gunn
Produced by	Jamie Patricof Lynette Howell Taylor Alex Orlovsky Duncan Montgomery Dylan Sellers
Starring	Channing Tatum Kirsten Dunst LaKeith Stanfield Juno Temple Peter Dinklage
Cinematography	Andrij Parekh
Edited by	Jim Helton Ron Patane
Music by	Christopher Bear
Production companies	High Frequency Entertainment Hunting Lane 51 Entertainment Limelight
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release dates	September 6, 2025 (2025-09-06) (TIFF) October 10, 2025 (2025-10-10) (United States)
Running time	126 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$19 million
Box office	$33.5 million

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, Melonie Diaz, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, 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 $32 million worldwide.

Plot

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 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 robs 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

• 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.

Production

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. Dylan Sellers and Chris Parker produced through the Limelight production company alongside Jamie Patricof and Lynette Howell Taylor. Channing Tatum was to star. Ben Mendelsohn and Kirsten Dunst joined the cast in September 2024. 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. Peter Dinklage, Uzo Aduba, Juno Temple, LaKeith Stanfield, Molly Price, Melonie Diaz, Lily Collias, Emory Cohen, and Tony Revolori joined the cast.

Principal photography began on October 24, 2024, in Gastonia, North Carolina. Filming wrapped on December 12, 2024. Cinematographer Andrij Parekh shot the film on 35mm, marking his second collaboration with Cianfrance. Some of the filming locations include Freedom Park, Mecklenburg County Jail North, and the Gaston County Courthouse. Jim Helton edited the film. Christopher Bear composed the score for the film.

Release

Roofman had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2025. It was released in the United States on October 10, 2025, moved from its original release date of October 3, 2025.

Reception

Box office

As of November 20, 2025, Roofman has grossed $23 million in the United States and Canada and $10 million in other territories, for a total of $32 million worldwide.

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 87% of 212 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." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.

External links

• Official website
• Roofman at IMDb