Eli Roth Admits ‘Ice Cream Man’ Features AI-Assisted Shots After Suggesting Otherwise: ‘I Misspoke’

Director Eli Roth admitted on Tuesday that AI was used in 'a very small portion of a few scenes' in his upcoming horror film 'Ice Cream Man,' after previously suggesting the animated sequence was hand-drawn. Roth said, 'I misspoke,' following social media claims that the film relied heavily on generative AI and involved visual effects studio Dark Half. The admission adds to a growing trend of filmmakers facing backlash for using AI without full disclosure.

Eli Roth https://variety.com/t/eli-roth/ first promised that his upcoming horror release, “ Ice Cream Man https://variety.com/2026/film/news/eli-roth-studio-notes-shrinking-residuals-ice-cream-man-borderlands-1236827569/ ,” would feature an animated sequence he had initially drawn himself. Now, days ahead of the film’s Aug. 7 premiere, Roth admitted AI had a hand in the effort. The horror director said in a statement on Tuesday via Polygon https://www.polygon.com/eli-roth-ice-cream-man-generative-ai-confirmed/ that he used AI in “a very small portion of a few scenes in the film” after social media posts https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1vf1gc8/is ice cream man really full of genai/ claimed the technology was used abundantly throughout the film and pointed to the involvement of the AI visual effects studio Dark Half. The statement came after Roth detailed a sequence in the film to Polygon that features a cartoon that seemingly hypnotizes children, turning them into murderers. Roth said he initially drew the animated portions himself, inspired by a 1920s-era Mickey Mouse cartoon of the character parading through a haunted house, before he had animators “help kind of make it a little more fluid” and an artist gave it “an old-timey jittery feel.” Popular on Variety “I misspoke,” Roth said in a new statement Tuesday. “AI was used in a very small portion of a few scenes in the film. It was an opportunity where technology and creativity came together to help bring my vision for the film to life.” Representatives for Roth and Dark Half did not respond to Variety ‘s initial request for comment. The revelation is the latest example of how engaging the technology — and obfuscating such use — can roil audiences eager to support new films. “Late Night with the Devil” directors Cameron and Colin Cairne had to explain https://variety.com/2024/film/news/late-night-with-the-devil-ai-images-clarification-1235947599/ their use of AI after the version of the 2023 horror film that debuted in theaters featured multiple AI-generated images, while “Stop That Train” director Adam Shankman claimed https://variety.com/2026/film/news/stop-that-train-ai-director-shuts-down-claims-1236765131/ that the RuPaul-led film featured “ZERO shots conceived by AI in the movie” and that every shot in the film was made by “human hands” after social media users took issue with the employment of Ryan Kavanaugh’s Acme AI and FX firm.