"TORONTO - There's no criminal quite like the Roofman. The Sacramento-born burglar Jeffrey Manchester began his crime spree in Northern California in the late 1990s by cutting holes into the roofs of McDonald's franchises, robbing the safes while being shockingly polite to employees in the process. After hitting 40 stores across the country, he was caught and sent to jail in North Carolina, until he escaped and took up secret residence inside a Toys R Us, and then a Circuit City."
""I remember this story from news, and I was like, 'Oh, this is the story of a lifetime. We've got to do this story,'" co-writer Kirt Gunn told SFGATE on the red carpet before the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of "Roofman." The feature film was co-written and directed by Derek Cianfrance ("Blue Valentine," "The Sound of Metal"), and stars Channing Tatum in the lead role, bringing a sense of naive glee to the character."
"The cinematic version of Manchester's story skips over much of his California roots; instead, it begins after he's returned from a military deployment and is having a hard time adjusting to raising a family as a civilian. LaKeith Stanfield (" Sorry to Bother You ") plays a friend of Manchester's, who reminds him that his "superpower" while in the military was analyzing weaknesses in systems."
Jeffrey Manchester, nicknamed the Roofman, began in the late 1990s by cutting holes into McDonald's roofs to rob safes while treating employees politely. He hit about 40 stores nationwide, was jailed in North Carolina, escaped, and lived secretly inside a Toys R Us and a Circuit City. Derek Cianfrance co-wrote and directed the film Roofman, starring Channing Tatum as Manchester and LaKeith Stanfield as his friend. The film frames Manchester as a veteran struggling with civilian life whose military skill at finding system weaknesses leads him to target fast-food chains. The portrayal mixes brazen crimes with surprising kindness toward staff.
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