Toys “R” Us plays a pivotal role in Roofman, the newly announced true crime film starring Channing Tatum and directed by Oscar nominee Derek Cianfrance (Sound of Metal, Blue Valentine).
The movie is based on the real-life story of Jeffrey Manchester, a nonviolent serial robber who broke into dozens of McDonald’s restaurants through the roof — and who, after escaping prison, famously hid for months inside a North Carolina Toys “R” Us.
Manchester lived inside the shuttered toy store, exercising on bicycles from the shelves and surviving on jars of baby food. His unusual stay ended when he was tracked down after reportedly leaving a fingerprint on a Catch Me If You Can DVD inside a neighboring Circuit City.
The film, written by Cianfrance and Kirt Gunn, is produced by Dylan Sellers and Chris Parker of Limelight (Palm Springs), along with longtime Cianfrance collaborators Jamie Patricof (Hunting Lane) and Lynette Howell Taylor (51 Entertainment). Limelight fully financed the feature, which FilmNation and CAA Media Finance are shopping at the European Film Market.
The Toys “R” Us connection adds a notable pop culture backdrop to the story’s stranger-than-fiction timeline. While filming took place in North Carolina, details about the construction or recreation of the toy store set have not yet been disclosed. A 1980s-style store was constructed last year for the Michael Jackson biopic, expected in 2026.
Roofman comes to theaters Oct. 10.
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