Nas and Eli Roth Turn Childhood Treats into Terror in Unrated Slasher Ice Cream Man

Horror has always enjoyed persuading us that something tender from childhood can be terrifying; the new trailer for Ice Cream Man makes that point bluntly. Executive produced by Nas and directed by genre veteran Eli Roth, the film centers on a small town whose children erupt into a murderous spree after eating ice cream dispensed by a mysterious vendor.

The trailer, which debuted earlier this month, does not shy away from violent set pieces — it leans into unrated gore and a slasher sensibility that feels calibrated to provoke. The premise is simple and sinister: a familiar comfort turned corrosive, with kids at the center of the carnage.

Nas is attached as an executive producer through Mass Appeal’s tie-up with Roth’s production outfit, The Horror Section, which the director launched in 2025. The collaboration represents a very deliberate crossing of cultural beats: one foot in music and street-level storytelling, the other in mainstream horror filmmaking.

“I’m proud to come together and partner with Eli to bring these films to life and push the boundaries of what horror can be, both culturally and creatively,” Nas said in a statement to Variety in March. “Eli and I shared the same vision from the beginning and partnering with him and The Horror Section feels natural. I’m excited to take the genre in an exciting new direction, and ‘Ice Cream Man’ is just the beginning.”

Roth, who has been a visible figure in contemporary horror for years, framed the partnership as a meeting of sensibilities. He cast the union as both strategic and personal.

“Nas is one of the most influential storytellers and cultural voices of all time and we bonded instantly over our mutual love of horror,” Roth said. “We are thrilled to partner with Mass Appeal, with its unmatched pulse on culture and what truly resonates.”

For context, Nas was photographed attending the Jury Welcome Lunch during the 2026 Tribeca Festival on June 03, 2026, an appearance that underlines how embedded the project is in contemporary culture conversations. Ice Cream Man is the first public-facing result of that Mass Appeal – The Horror Section relationship.

Ice Cream Man is set to hit theaters on Aug. 7. The trailer leaves little mystery about the film’s appetite for shock, and positions the movie as a provocation: a mainstream slasher amplified by music-world sensibility and an eye for cultural resonance.

Watch the Ice Cream Man Trailer

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