Eli Roth Talks the Unrated Gamble of ‘Ice Cream Man’ and What He Hopes the Town Learns From ‘Obsession’
Director Eli Roth has launched his own production and distribution company, The Horror Section, to release genre films without the creative constraints of the traditional studio system, following a difficult experience making Lionsgate's $120 million Borderlands adaptation. The company's first release is his unrated splatter film Ice Cream Man, opening wide via Iconic Events Releasing on 7 August, a project that spent more than two decades in development limbo because its gory premise made financing difficult to secure.
Roth says the wide theatrical release of an unrated film became viable after Terrifier 3 opened to around $20 million, prompting major chains including AMC, Regal and Cinemark to agree to screen unrated titles. Co-written with childhood friend Noah Belson after the success of Roth's 2002 debut Cabin Fever, the film centres on an ice cream man whose treats turn children into killers, and features a 30-minute school massacre sequence involving around 100 child actors, inspired by the Omaha Beach scene in Saving Private Ryan. Roth also reflects on lessons Hollywood might take from this summer's low-budget horror hits Obsession and Backrooms, which together grossed nearly $900 million worldwide.
- Eli Roth launches The Horror Section to bypass studio system
- Unrated Ice Cream Man opens wide in cinemas from 7 August
- Terrifier 3's success paved the way for unrated theatrical releases
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Eli Roth is a film-maker known for horror films such as Cabin Fever. He has set up The Horror Section, a company to make and release genre films with more control over their content. Its first film, Ice Cream Man, is an unrated horror story about a vendor whose ice creams make children violent.
A film’s rating can affect which cinemas will show it, so unrated films have often been harder to release widely. The success of Terrifier 3 helped persuade major US cinema chains to screen unrated horror films. Roth’s project also spent years seeking funding because of its graphic premise.
Roth has pointed to the success of lower-budget horror films such as Obsession and Backrooms as a possible lesson for Hollywood. Their earnings have drawn attention to how horror films can reach audiences without the budgets of large studio productions.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Creative freedom and market dynamics support this release. Artists deserve autonomy to realise their vision without studio constraints, and the theatrical success of unrated horror films like Terrifier 3 demonstrates genuine audience demand. Horror as a genre meaningfully explores dark psychology and trauma through visceral storytelling. If consenting adults wish to see challenging material, they should have access, and independent distribution models enable this without compromising artistic integrity.
The case against
Genuine ethical questions arise around using child actors in an extended sequence depicting graphic school violence, particularly given the real trauma school shootings represent. Unrated theatrical releases remove age-gating entirely, potentially exposing minors to content centred on a contemporary tragedy. Whilst challenging art matters, thoughtful guidelines serve a purpose—protecting vulnerable participants and audiences alike.