Eli Roth Debuts Independent Horror Film Ice Cream Man

Director Eli Roth has launched a new independent horror film, "Ice Cream Man," as a direct response to his experience with the studio system, which he blames for the 2024 failure of his big-budget video game adaptation, "Borderlands." The new film, which opens in U.S. theaters on August 7, 2026, is being released through Roth's own company, The Horror Section, and marks a deliberate shift toward filmmaker-owned projects with lower budgets and greater creative control.

Roth, known for horror films like "Hostel" and "Cabin Fever," has been vocal in recent interviews about the production of "Borderlands." The film, which had a reported $120 million production budget and starred Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart, was a critical and commercial disappointment, recouping only a fraction of its cost. Roth attributes the failure to extensive studio interference, primarily from Lionsgate, which he says demanded changes to secure a PG-13 rating. He stated that the pressure to make the film broadly appealing resulted in a product that satisfied no one.

"You got something that belonged to nobody," Roth said. "It's not a kids movie, but it's trying to appeal to everybody. It's for gamers, but it...