EXCLUSIVE: Fresh off her critically acclaimed work in A24’s Civil War, Kirsten Dunst has found her follow-up as she is set to join Channing Tatum in the true crime pic Roofman. Derek Cianfrance is directing.
Pic is based on the remarkable story of Jeffrey Manchester, an eccentric and charming serial robber who broke into more than 60 McDonald’s overnight via their roofs, then emptied the cash register in the morning after herding staff into freezers. The former U.S. Army Reserve officer became known as the ‘Rooftop Robber’ or ‘Roofman’ and was known for his gentle demeanor and for rarely resorting to violence.
Convicted and imprisoned in 2000, the plucky criminal escaped jail and then evaded capture by holing up for months in a Toys ‘r Us and Circuit City store in North Carolina. He lived off baby food and would ride bicycles for exercise in the toy store. After reportedly leaving his fingerprints on a Catch Me If You Can DVD in the electronics store, he was recaptured and sent back to jail. The movie will focus on Manchester’s months-long odyssey on the lam.
Dunst plays an employee at the Toys ‘R Us who is struggling to make ends meet and to provide for her two girls, Dee and Lindsay. She has no idea that Jeffrey has been secretly watching her from inside the store and slowly fallen for her. When she meets him, she’s charmed and finds him endearing, and the two form a serious bond until she finds out the truth about him – but even that can’t stop her for caring for him.
Script comes from Cianfrance and Kirt Gunn. Dylan Sellers and Chris Parker will produce through their Limelight (Palm Springs) production banner alongside Cianfrance’s longtime collaborators Jamie Patricof (Hunting Lane) and Lynette Howell Taylor (51 Entertainment).
FilmNation and CAA Media Finance are launching the package for the EFM where it’s already generating strong interest from distribution sources we’ve spoken to. FilmNation is on international, CAA on domestic.
Dunst is expected to be in the conversation this award season following her performance in A24 war pic Civil War from director Alex Garland. Not only was the film one of the biggest box-office hits for the studio making $114 million worldwide, Dunst earned some of the best reviews of her career.
She is repped by UTA and Entertainment 360.