‘Ice Cream Man’ Serves Up a Summer of Screams

Summer holidays, neighbourhood ice cream vans and long afternoons in the sun have all become unlikely ingredients for horror before, but Eli Roth is taking that familiar slice of suburban nostalgia in an especially gruesome direction. The filmmaker behind Cabin Fever, Hostel and Thanksgiving has unveiled the official poster and green band trailer for Ice Cream Man, offering the first extended look at his latest slasher ahead of its UK and Irish cinema release on 7 August.

Released by Studiocanal through its genre label Sixth Dimension, Ice Cream Man centres on a seemingly idyllic town that descends into chaos when a mysterious ice cream vendor begins serving frozen treats with horrifying consequences. Rather than offering relief from the summer heat, each cone unleashes an uncontrollable hunger, transforming children into ruthless killers who turn on the adults around them.

Leading the cast is Orphan Black star Ari Millen as the unsettling ice cream man, with Charlie Zeltzer playing the young boy who begins to realise something is terribly wrong. Benjamin Byron Davis (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Karen Cliche (Thanksgiving), Dylan Hawco (Heartland), Sarah Abbott (Black Mirror), Shiloh O’Reilly, Kiori Mirza Waldman and Charlie Storey also feature, while Roth appears in the film himself.

Roth directs, produces and co-wrote the screenplay with longtime collaborator Noah Belson, continuing a creative partnership that stretches back to Cabin Fever. The project also serves as one of the first releases from The Horror Section, the genre-focused media company Roth launched in 2025 alongside Media Capital Technologies with the aim of developing original horror films, television, games and podcasts.

Adding another unexpected ingredient to the production is an original musical contribution from Grammy nominated rapper Snoop Dogg, while Grammy Award winner Nas serves as an executive producer. Producers include Christopher Woodrow, Raj Singh and Kate Harrison, with executive producers Kevin Frakes, Connor DiGregorio, Eli Massillon, Lorenzo Antonucci, Jon Schnaars and Holly Adams.

Principal photography took place in Hamilton, Ontario during 2025. Although the title inevitably recalls the 1995 cult film starring Clint Howard, Roth’s Ice Cream Man is an entirely original project rather than a remake or sequel, with the filmmaker having developed the concept over two decades before bringing it to the screen.

The newly released trailer leans into Roth’s trademark blend of outrageous practical gore, pitch-black humour and escalating carnage, while the striking poster places the smiling vendor front and centre as his frozen desserts become the catalyst for a suburban bloodbath.

Ice Cream Man arrives in UK and Irish cinemas on 7 August 2026 via Studiocanal’s Sixth Dimension label. The official green band trailer and poster are available now.

Ice Cream Man trailer