Eli Roth Credits 'Terrifier' for Sparking His Boldest Horror Yet

Eli Roth, the filmmaker behind notorious horror hits like Hostel and Thanksgiving, recently shared how the explosive success of the Terrifier franchise gave him the push he needed to take bigger risks in the genre. Roth, known for his boundary-pushing style, pointed to the Terrifier films as proof that horror can thrive outside the traditional studio system—a lesson that’s shaped his approach to his next project, Ice Cream Man.

During a conversation about the 4K re-release of Cabin Fever, Roth reflected on the challenges of making horror movies under studio oversight. Earlier this year, he launched The Horror Section, a fan-supported production company dedicated to backing extreme films that major studios might shy away from. Roth revealed that Ice Cream Man is a story he’s been carrying with him for two decades, but only now feels empowered to bring it to life. The raw, unfiltered violence of Terrifier, he said, inspired him to finally move forward without compromise.

Breaking Away from Studio Constraints

Roth explained that the journey to make Ice Cream Man has been a long one. He first wrote a script for it back in 2003, right after Cabin Fever, but the timing never felt right. Now, with the rise of unrated horror films like Terrifier, he sees a new path forward. In his words:

"I think that you just got to do your own thing. And sometimes you're ahead of the wave, sometimes you're right on the wave, sometimes you're behind it. You can't control it. I've had Ice Cream Man in my head for 20 years. We had a script written in 2003, 2004, right after Cabin Fever. It was never there yet. And then I rewrote it.

But then when I formed the company, I think what Terrifier did was it showed that unrated movies are mainstream. I was like, 'Okay, we're done.' The violence that I fought for that I had to take out of Thanksgiving, then Terrifier 3 comes out, and I'm just like…

But you have to do it independently because it's the Sony Corporation, and they have their own set of rules. And even they shut down Thanksgiving at one point because they saw dailies and they're like, 'We're not going to start this again unless you reshoot that.' And I was like, 'I still got it.'"

Pushing the Limits of On-Screen Horror

Fans of Roth’s work know he’s never shied away from graphic content. His films are infamous for their intensity, and he’s always found ways to keep the most shocking scenes intact. Both The Green Inferno and Thanksgiving are prime examples, but Hostel stands out as a turning point. The original studio behind Hostel balked at the film ’s brutality, fearing it would damage their brand. Roth recalled:

"They saw something, and they were like, 'This is so awful,' which is what happened on Hostel, where they saw the dailies and they went, 'This is so awful. People will stop buying Sony Electronics if they see this. We cannot put this out.' And that's why they went to Lionsgate. And then they, of course, loved it when it was a huge hit."

Roth’s determination to stay true to his vision, even when it means going against studio expectations, has become a hallmark of his career. With Ice Cream Man, he’s ready to take that independence to the next level, inspired by the path Terrifier has blazed for unrated, uncompromising horror.