- Director Eli Roth clarifies that generative AI technology was used in a limited capacity for his upcoming horror film Ice Cream Man.
- Questions arose about the film’s production methods after early reviewers noticed AI visual effects company Dark Half listed in the credits, prompting Roth to issue a revised statement acknowledging the AI involvement.
- Roth had initially described animating a sequence himself in a Fleischer Studios style, but later admitted that generative AI was used in a small portion of a few scenes to bring his vision to life.
Eli Roth just admitted he wasn’t being fully honest about how Ice Cream Man was made. The director clarified his earlier comments about the film’s production after questions arose regarding the use of generative AI technology.
Eli Roth clarifies that he ‘misspoke’ about the use of generative AI for Ice Cream Man
Eli Roth has acknowledged that his upcoming horror film Ice Cream Man does incorporate generative AI, as The director stated he previously “misspoke” when describing one of the movie’s animated sequences as entirely hand-drawn. His clarification came after Polygon followed up on the film’s production methods
The issue surfaced when early reviewers noticed AI visual effects company Dark Half listed in the film’s credits. Online speculation quickly grew about how extensively generative AI shaped the final product. These questions directly contradicted Roth’s prior description of the filmmaking process.
During an earlier Polygon interview, Roth had described personally illustrating a haunting Fleischer Studios-style cartoon sequence in the film. The animation depicts a sinister cartoon playing on children’s phones that seemingly hypnotizes them into becoming violent. Roth claimed he drew the frames himself and collaborated with animators to polish the footage.
When Polygon pressed him further about AI involvement, Roth offered a revised account through an official statement. “I misspoke. AI was used in a very small portion of a few scenes in the film,” he told the outlet. He also described the process as one where “technology and creativity came together to help bring my vision for the film to life.”
Roth did not reveal which specific scenes featured generative AI or detail how the team applied the technology. He only maintained that the technology played a limited role across “a very small portion of a few scenes.” Polygon reached out to both Roth’s representative and Dark Half for additional details but neither responded. Ice Cream Man, which follows an ice cream truck driver who transforms children into homicidal killers, arrives in theaters on Aug. 7.
