Eli Roth Confirms AI Usage in New Film 'The Ice Cream Man'

Director Eli Roth has walked back his earlier comments and admitted that he used generative artificial intelligence in his new film The Ice Cream Man, after previously claiming that one of the movie’s most talked-about sequences had been hand-drawn. The director clarified that he misspoke and said AI was used only in a small portion of a few scenes.

The sequence in question features a dark cartoon inspired by Fleischer Studios animations, which appears on children’s cell phones before seemingly hypnotizing them and turning them into killers. In a previous interview with Polygon, Roth said he had personally drawn the animation, explaining that he only had help from other artists to make the movements more fluid.

The debate gained even more momentum after a version of the feature sent to the press included AI visual effects company Dark Half in the credits, raising suspicions among fans about the use of generative AI in the film.

After being questioned again by Polygon, the filmmaker acknowledged that his earlier statement did not fully describe the production process. "I misspoke. Artificial intelligence was used in a very small part of some scenes in the film. It was an opportunity where technology and creativity came together to help bring my vision for the film to life," he said.

Roth, however, did not reveal which sequences received assistance from generative AI or detail how the technology was applied. According to him, the tool was used in a limited way and did not replace the creative work carried out during production of the horror feature.

Everything you need to know about The Ice Cream Man

In the story, children are turned into bloodthirsty killers after eating ice cream served by a street vendor in the town of Bayleen Bay.

The cast is led by Ari Millen (Orphan Black) in the title role, alongside Benjamin Byron Davis (Red Dead Redemption), Karen Cliche (Thanksgiving), and others.

Roth, director of Cabin Fever, Hostel and Thanksgiving, directs from a screenplay he co-wrote with Noah Belson.

Snoop Dogg contributes songs to the film, alongside composer Brandon Roberts. The prosthetic makeup effects are by Oscar winners Adrien Morot and Steve Newburn. Rapper Nas is an executive producer.

The Ice Cream Man arrives in theaters on August 7.