Eli Roth Faces Backlash After Confirming AI Visual Effects in Horror Film Ice Cream Man

Horror director Eli Roth has drawn significant online criticism after reports confirmed that AI visual effects company Dark Half contributed to a scene in his new film Ice Cream Man. The sequence in question depicts an animated phone clip — inspired by 1920s Fleischer Studios-style cartoons — that drives children in the film to violence. Roth had previously described building the sequence himself from vintage cartoon frames before handing assets to animators, but later acknowledged that AI was involved.

After backlash erupted on social media, Roth issued a statement clarifying that he had "misspoken" and that AI was used in "a very small portion of a few scenes," framing it as a creative tool to help realize his vision. Critics and fans pushed back sharply, with many arguing that AI-generated imagery undermines human artistry. Ice Cream Man is scheduled for a cinema release on August 4th.