Roth bypasses studios, finances $5.5M 'Ice Cream Man' through foreign pre-sales and tax credits

Eli Roth raised the $5.5 million budget for 'Ice Cream Man' entirely without studio money, using foreign pre-sales — territory-by-territory rights sold before filming — and Canadian tax credits, Variety reports on 4 August 2026. The film opens 7 August through The Horror Section, his independent label founded in 2025. Roth's previous film, the $120 million studio production 'Borderlands', opened to poor reception in 2024 after executives pushed PG-13 cuts.