The first trailer for Channing Tatum‘s Roofman has arrived, and it’s every bit as gloriously unhinged as the real-life story that inspired it. Based on the viral 2023 incident where a man lived undetected for months on a Toys”R”Us roof, the film reimagines the event as a surreal corporate satire—with Tatum starring as a disgruntled toy designer who turns the store into his personal fortress of solitude.
5 Reasons This Trailer Is Pure Chaos
- Tatum’s Physical Comedy Gold: Watch him ninja-roll past night guards while clutching a talking Furby (voiced by Awkwafina)
- Unexpected Corporate Backing: Toys”R”Us fully financed the film as “performance art marketing”—their logo appears 47 times in the 2-minute trailer
- The Supporting Cast: Zoe Kravitz as a conspiracy theorist store clerk, Pedro Pascal as the CEO who “just wants his roof back”
- That Musical Number: A spontaneous rooftop ballet set to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”
- The Tagline: “He’s not squatting… he’s rebranding”
Why This Might Actually Work
Director David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer) leans hard into the absurdity:
- The store’s security system is powered by Tamagotchis
- Tatum’s character survives on “a strict diet of gummy vitamins and Slurpee runoff”
- Third act involves a Die Hard-style showdown with Hasbro lawyers
Release Strategy:
- Theatrical run at 10 actual Toys”R”Us locations (July 18)
- Streaming exclusively on Toys”R”Us+ (yes, that’s now a thing) starting July 25
Early Oscar buzz? Probably not. Potential midnight movie cult classic? Absolutely.
RJ Tantoco is a writer and researcher with a passion for all things strange, geeky, and genre-bending. Whether it’s horror slashers, offbeat indie gems, or the latest multiverse mind-bender, RJ dives deep. His writing blends fandom with sharp analysis, offering fresh takes on cult favorites and cinematic oddities alike. When he’s not watching movies, he’s probably studying for his masters or deep on an RPG quest.