Eli Roth Scoops Up a Killer New Project With Ice Cream Man
Grab your cones and your courage because Eli Roth is back in the kitchen, and this time he is serving horror by the scoop. The director behind Hostel, Cabin Fever, and Thanksgiving has officially wrapped production on his latest nightmare, Ice Cream Man, which promises to turn childhood nostalgia into pure brain freeze terror.
The first image from the film, released by Variety, shows Ari Millen (Orphan Black) in the title role, looking every bit like the guy your mother warned you not to take free samples from. He is joined by a strong supporting cast that includes Benjamin Byron Davis (Red Dead Redemption), Karen Cliche (Thanksgiving), Dylan Hawco, Sarah Abbott, Shiloh O Reilly, Kiori Mirza Waldman, Charlie Zeltzer (The Handmaids Tale), and Charlie Storey.
Roth himself appears in the film and co wrote the screenplay with his longtime friend and collaborator Noah Belson. The story centers on an idyllic summer town that descends into madness when the local ice cream man begins serving up sweet treats with horrifying side effects. It is safe to say that this dessert comes with more than just sprinkles.
Music for the film is being provided by none other than Snoop Dog, who seems to be enjoying his unexpected new side career as a horror collaborator. He previously teamed with Roth on the upcoming Dont Go in That House, Bitch and will contribute original tracks to Ice Cream Man alongside composer Brandon Roberts, known for his work on Thanksgiving and Andor.
The film’s prosthetic makeup effects are in very good hands. Academy Award winner Adrien Morot (The Whale, Thanksgiving) and effects artist Steve Newburn (Frankenstein, Thanksgiving) are behind the sticky, gory details. Expect plenty of practical nastiness and the kind of gruesome imagery Roth fans have come to crave.
Roth is producing with Christopher Woodrow, Raj Singh, and Kate Harrison, while Kevin Frakes, Connor DiGregorio, Eli Massillon, Lorenzo Antonucci, Jon Schnaars, and Holly Adams serve as executive producers.
Speaking about the project, Roth said, “I couldn’t be more excited about the incredible cast we’ve assembled for Ice Cream Man. It’s surreal to see the idea I’ve had for over 20 years come to life, and with this insanely talented cast, we get to deliver a film to horror fans that’s as terrifying as I’ve always imagined.”
That comment alone should make longtime fans curious. Roth has been developing this idea for decades, and given his reputation for mixing dark humor with extreme carnage, Ice Cream Man could end up sitting comfortably beside his cult favorites. If Thanksgiving was his slasher love letter to holiday mayhem, this one looks like his twisted ode to summertime Americana, all melting cones, sticky fingers, and buckets of blood.
Principal photography wrapped in September, with a wide theatrical release expected in 2026 under Roth’s new label The Horror Section. WME Independent is handling international sales at the American Film Market, and distribution deals are already in place with StudioCanal’s Sixth Dimension for territories including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Benelux, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand.
Now, before anyone rushes to dig out their VHS copies, this Ice Cream Man has no known connection to the 1995 cult horror flick of the same name starring Clint Howard. That earlier film followed a deranged ice cream vendor named Gregory Tudor who murdered his customers and turned them into dessert toppings. It was campy, gory, and full of bad puns, the kind of film that earned a small but devoted fan base over the years. Howard’s performance in that version is still remembered fondly by B movie fans for his ability to make “would you like sprinkles with that” sound like a death threat. Roth’s Ice Cream Man, however, seems to be a completely separate story, not a remake or sequel, but rather a fresh serving of terror on its own twisted cone.
Eli Roth has always been one of horror’s most mischievous voices, known for taking familiar settings like a hostel, a cabin, or a holiday dinner and turning them into blood soaked nightmares. With Ice Cream Man, he appears to be doing it again, transforming one of childhood’s sweetest symbols into a walking trauma trigger.
So the next time you hear the faint jingle of an ice cream truck rolling down the street, think twice before you wave it down. It might not be selling popsicles, it might be serving payback.
