Eli Roth Explains How ‘Terrifier’ Paved the Way for Unrated Horror in Movie Theaters

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David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown in 'Terrifier 2' during Sienna Shaw's (Lauren LaVera) nightmare sequence.

Published Aug 5, 2026, 1:09 PM EDT

Ice Cream Man is horror producer, writer, and director Eli Roth’s “carnival of carnage,” he tells Collider’s Steven Weintraub while at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. As the twisted mind behind Cabin Fever, Hostel, and 2023’s Thanksgiving, Roth explains that with this sickly sweet treat, he set out to outdo all his previous films as far as gory kills were concerned. He wanted “one kill after another after another,” like he used to see in classics like Re-Animator or Dawn of the Dead.

In Ice Cream Man, co-written by Roth and Noah Belson in 2003, a picture-perfect town is terrorized after their local ice cream truck serves up scoops of mind-rotting dessert. Now, when the kids who’ve eaten the ice cream hear the truck’s jingle, they’re only hungry for blood. The movie stars Ari Millen as the eponymous villain, Roth, Benjamin Byron Davis, Sarah Abbott, and Karen Cliche.

At SDCC 2026, Roth stopped by Collider’s studio to chat about finally getting Ice Cream Man made, releasing under his own company, The Horror Section, as their debut feature. He talks about how Damien Leone’s Terrifier franchise made unrated horror a hot commodity for theatrical releases, plus gives us a taste of what it’s like to film a bloody, violent movie with a cast of almost all kids. Plus, we get an Ice Cream Man-sized scoop on Roth’s upcoming collaboration with Snoop Dogg, Don’t Go in That House, Bitch!, and why the horror-loving rapper and actor was thrilled to get involved.

00:15 - Eli Roth celebrates Comic-Con and discusses what he collects.
02:04 - Roth gives the rundown on the massive list of projects he’s got in the works.
02:44 - He discusses how he began collaborating with Snoop Dogg on Don’t Go In That House, Bitch!
05:39 - Roth shares the inspiration for his “carnival of carnage,” Ice Cream Man.
06:16 - The writer-director shares what it was like directing child actors for his killer kids horror.
10:00 - Roth explains why Ice Cream Man is The Horror Section’s first release.
11:05 - He comments on how the success of Terrifier 3 changed the theatrical landscape for unrated horror films.
12:09 - Roth discusses “sticking the landing” in horror movies.
13:03 - Roth reveals how Ice Cream Man’s ending changed in the edit.