Derek Cianfrance is set to direct his first film in over 8 years. Last February, it was reported that Cianfrance hopped on board a film titled “Roofman,” starring Channing Tatum. A Production Weekly listing now has the film starting production in October.
The film will tackle the true story of Jeffrey Manchester who, in the late ‘90s, began robbing McDonald's locations across the United States. Manchester totaled anywhere between 40–60 robberies across the country. He also lived in a Charlotte Toys ‘r Us for most of his spree, surviving on kids snacks and baby food, and exercising during the night when the store was closed by riding a bike throughout the store aisles.
This is a wild story, and Cianfrance helming “Roofman” could be a good fit. The writer-director of “Blue Valentine,” and “The Place Beyond the Pines” has only released 3 films in the last 13 years — his last one was 2016’s ill-received “The Light Between the Oceans” which I definitely saw but can’t remember a thing about.