Filmmaker Eli Roth has launched a new production company, The Horror Section, to champion unrated genre films, bypassing traditional studio oversight, with his long-shelved project, Ice Cream Man, set to debut as its inaugural release on August 7. Roth’s strategic move follows a paradigm shift in theatrical distribution, catalyzed by the unexpected box office success of unrated horror films like Terrifier 3, which demonstrated a robust audience demand for extreme content. Simultaneously, Roth weighed in on the recent triumphs of online creators Curry Barker’s Obsession and Kane Parsons’ Backrooms, urging Hollywood to adopt a mentorship-driven approach for integrating new talent from digital platforms into feature filmmaking.
The Horror Section: A Vision for Independent Horror
Eli Roth’s decision to establish The Horror Section stemmed from a challenging production experience on Lionsgate’s $120 million video game adaptation, Borderlands. The filmmaker articulated a desire to reclaim creative autonomy, steering genre projects from inception to distribution without the compromises often imposed by studio executives and their mandates. This "soup-to-nuts" approach aims to cultivate a space where genre filmmakers can realize their visions unencumbered by traditional studio pressures, a model increasingly sought by creators in an evolving industry landscape.
The company’s mission is to empower directors to produce the kind of pure, unadulterated horror that Roth believes resonates deeply with dedicated fans. By controlling the entire production and release pipeline, The Horror Section seeks to ensure that a filmmaker’s original intent remains intact, a stark contrast to the multi-layered approval processes inherent in large studio productions. This move reflects a broader industry trend where established filmmakers, disillusioned with the corporate machinery, seek independent avenues to maintain artistic integrity and connect directly with niche audiences.
The Unrated Revolution: Ice Cream Man Hits Theaters
The timing of The Horror Section’s launch and the release of Ice Cream Man is no coincidence. Roth credits the recent box office performance of Terrifier 3, which grossed approximately $20 million, with shattering long-held exhibitor conventions. For years, major theater chains had a strong preference for R-rated films, shying away from unrated features due to perceived audience limitations and potential controversies. However, Terrifier 3‘s unexpected success demonstrated a clear, hungry theatrical audience for "fully unhinged unrated movies with full-on gore."
This market revelation prompted major chains like AMC, Regal, and Cinemark to reconsider their stance. Roth capitalized on this shift, engaging with exhibitors at CinemaCon to gauge their willingness to screen unrated films from The Horror Section. He received overwhelming support, with chains expressing eagerness to cater to the horror fanbase. Roth emphasized his commitment to the theatrical experience, asserting that while other genres can be consumed on streaming platforms, the "true adrenaline rush" of horror is best experienced collectively in a cinema, likening it to the irreplaceable energy of a live concert. The Horror Section aims to produce films specifically as "theatrical events," prioritizing extended big-screen windows over immediate streaming availability.
Bringing Bloody Mayhem to Life: Directing Young Actors
Ice Cream Man, co-written by Roth and his childhood friend Noah Belson in 2003, languished for over two decades due to its controversial premise: an ice cream man whose frozen treats transform children into bloodthirsty, maniacal killers who then murder their parents and teachers. The screenplay’s "risqué" nature made financing nearly impossible at the time. However, Roth viewed its unapologetically offbeat tone as the perfect "calling card" for The Horror Section.
The film features a particularly audacious 30-minute school-set sequence, drawing inspiration from the intense Omaha Beach scene in Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan. This segment involved approximately 100 child actors immersed in nonstop, over-the-top mayhem and gore. Roth approached the production with transparency, informing parents upfront about the film’s horror genre and graphic content. To his surprise, both the young cast and their parents enthusiastically embraced the gory chaos.
Roth recounted a unique set dynamic where parents, many of whom were horror fans themselves, would observe the filming, often asking for fake body parts for their children as souvenirs. The child actors, accustomed to contemporary horror media, played joyfully amidst the fake blood and guts, engaging in activities like "tetherball with a head or jump-roping with guts." Roth maintained a calm and encouraging demeanor on set, treating the production as a collaborative team exercise. Despite the logistical challenges of working with such a large group of young performers, including frequent breaks and unexpected interruptions like a bee halting a shot, the experience was described as "beautifully wild," with children crying at the end of the shoot, sad to leave their monster makeup behind. This unconventional approach highlighted the distinction children could make between fantasy and reality, turning the set into a mix of "Halloween and Christmas." The film, produced on a $5.5 million budget with additional funds for promotion, is set for its wide release on August 7.
Navigating Creative Freedom: Roth’s Trusted Circle
With The Horror Section, Roth no longer contends with the traditional studio note process, which often involved navigating disagreements between his creative vision, studio mandates, and the Motion Picture Association (MPA). While Roth acknowledged a generally positive working relationship with the MPA, noting their adaptability to changing tastes, he frequently faced studio directives to remove elements deemed potentially offensive to audiences. This often led to debates over levels of gore, violence, or language, which were difficult to resolve definitively.
For Ice Cream Man, Roth sought to create something "pure and raw" directly from his own creative impulse. Free from studio constraints, he relied on a personal network of trusted writer-director friends for feedback on drafts and cuts. This inner circle includes acclaimed filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, Edgar Wright, Sam Levinson, Sean Baker, and Ti West. Additionally, he consulted with highly respected editors like Bob Murawski, Michel Aller, and Fred Raskin, all personal friends. This peer-review system allowed for candid, honest critiques without the commercial or ratings-driven pressures of the studio environment. Roth cited Murawski’s obscure yet apt comparison of Ice Cream Man to Devil Times Five “times 50,” illustrating the specific and informed feedback he values from his collaborators. This independent creative process underscores Roth’s commitment to artistic integrity, ensuring the final film aligns precisely with his original, uncompromised vision.
Lessons from Viral Success: Obsession and Backrooms
Roth also offered his perspective on the recent, significant box office success of two horror phenomena that originated outside traditional Hollywood channels: Curry Barker’s Obsession and Kane Parsons’ Backrooms, which collectively grossed nearly $900 million globally. He lauded Obsession, praising its quality and calling for it to win Best Original Screenplay and for its star, Inde Navarrette, to receive Best Actress recognition, along with nominations for the entire cast and crew. He noted that Barker’s success was not solely reliant on an existing online following, but rather the film’s strong word-of-mouth appeal driven by its inherent quality.
Roth also revealed his own early interest in Kane Parsons’ Backrooms. Four years prior, after observing its viral popularity among young audiences, he attempted to recruit Parsons, recognizing the filmmaker’s genius. However, the project had already been secured by Peter Chernin’s North Road company. Both Barker and Parsons represent a new wave of talent emerging from online platforms, proving their ability to translate digital popularity into mainstream theatrical success.
Mentorship Over Momentum: Nurturing New Filmmakers
While acknowledging the "incredible run" of YouTubers transitioning to the big screen, Roth cautioned against Hollywood simply rushing to recruit online creators based solely on their digital following. He emphasized that the success of Barker and Parsons was not merely a product of their existing online communities but also the crucial support they received from experienced producers and collaborators who served as mentors.
Roth advocated for a structured approach to integrating these new talents into the film industry. He urged studios and production companies to "pair these younger filmmakers with an experienced filmmaker like Jason Blum, Osgood Perkins, James Wan or the Duplass brothers." This mentorship model, he argued, would help nurture their careers, bring out the best in their work, and set them up for sustained success, much like the "smart producers who surrounded Curry Barker and Kane Parsons." The goal, Roth stressed, is to responsibly raise the next generation of filmmakers, ensuring they have the guidance needed to make high-quality movies and avoid early failures that could deter future opportunities for other online creators.
The Future of Unhinged Horror
As Ice Cream Man prepares for its nationwide release on August 7, Eli Roth’s independent venture with The Horror Section signals a pivotal moment for genre cinema. His commitment to unrated content and the theatrical experience, bolstered by changing exhibitor attitudes, offers a new pathway for filmmakers to deliver uncompromising visions directly to a hungry audience. Simultaneously, his insightful commentary on nurturing emerging talent from digital platforms underscores a broader industry imperative: to adapt to new sources of creativity while providing the foundational support necessary for long-term success. Roth’s gamble on unrated horror and his advocacy for mentored talent aim to shape a future where artistic freedom and sustained quality define the landscape of genre filmmaking.
