Channing Tatum Hides Out in Toys “R” Us in Gritty True-Crime Drama ‘Roofman’

From director Derek Cianfrance, Roofman is based on the real-life story of Jeffrey Manchester played by nonother than Channing Tatum, a convicted robber known for entering businesses through their ceilings, the film centers on Manchester’s bizarre post-prison life, most notably, the months he spent secretly living inside a North Carolina Toys “R” Us.

Manchester, is a man trying to rebuild his life while hiding in plain sight. “When you’re living inside the walls of a Toys ‘R’ Us, there’s a lot of time you have to figure out what to do with your life,” Tatum tells Entertainment Weekly, who debuted the first look at the film. What he expected to be a less demanding shoot turned out to be anything but. “It was absolutely exhausting,” he says. “This was a spiritual marathon on some level.”

Despite the film’s unusual setting, Roofman isn’t played for laughs. It explores the emotional toll of Manchester’s crimes and the consequences that unfold. After escaping prison, Manchester assumes the alias “John Zorn” and tries to build a normal life. He strikes up a romance with Leigh Wainscott, played by Kirsten Dunst, a single mother who works at the store. “I don’t think anyone’s seen him like this before,” Dunst says of Tatum’s performance.

Cianfrance, known for his immersive and emotionally raw filmmaking, gave Tatum no room to coast. “Derek really wanted me to break through the roof,” the actor tells EW. Scenes were deliberately filled with unpredictability, designed to keep actors off-balance. “He kept me guessing and kept me off my center.”

Adding to the authenticity, the production filmed in real locations from Manchester’s story. The actual preacher and even the driver who helped in Manchester’s escape appear in the film. “When you’re around some of these real people, all of a sudden it makes it very, very real,” Tatum says. “It puts pressure on you to pay attention.”

Though Manchester is still serving a 40-year sentence, Tatum spoke with him by phone during prep. “I really hope Jeff likes the movie,” Tatum says. “He’s made some bad decisions in his life. That is a fact. But he is probably the first one to tell you that.”

With a supporting cast that includes Peter Dinklage, LaKeith Stanfield, Uzo Aduba, Juno Temple, and Ben Mendelsohn, Roofman looks to combine true-crime grit with a surprising emotional core. It hits theaters October 10.

You can see all the first look images and read Tatum’s interview with EW here.

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