Val Kilmer Set to Finish His Movie Part via AI Technology

A sneak peek of how the AI version of Val Kilmer will appear in ‘As Deep as the Grave.’

One year after his death, a digitally generated version of Val Kilmer is set to appear in an independent film titled As Deep as the Grave.

First Line Films tells Variety that Kilmer originally agreed to take part in the project before his death but was unable to do so due to health issues. His estate approved the creation of a digital likeness and will be compensated. Mercedes Kilmer, his daughter, says the role held personal meaning for her father.

“He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling,” she says in a statement. “This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part.”

Kilmer died last April aged 65 from pneumonia. He had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and underwent two tracheotomies. After losing his natural voice, he worked with an AI company to recreate it digitally. His voice was also modified using technology in his final screen appearance in Top Gun: Maverick.

It’s not the first time AI has been used to resurrect an actor in movies: late Alien actor Ian Holm was brought back to life with the technology for the 2024 iteration, Alien: Romulus. That same year, Tom Hanks and Robin Wright were digitally de-aged in Robert Zemeckis’ film Here.

AI has become a divisive issue in Hollywood, with growing efforts to incorporate AI-generated performances. Last year, the company Xicoia introduced an AI-created persona named “Tilly Norwood” and recently released a music video featuring the character.

The actors’ union SAG-AFTRA has criticized fully synthetic performers but permits other uses of AI under specific conditions. Its rules require consent for digital replicas, stating that “Consent not obtained before death must be obtained from an authorized representative or the union.”

“We believe we are serving as a demonstrator for how to do it ethically and correctly, especially in the case of working with a deceased actor’s estate and family,” writer-director Coerte Voorhees and producer John Voorhees tell AP.

The film, previously titled Canyon of the Dead, was shot several years ago but delayed in postproduction. It is based on the real-life work of archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris in Arizona. The AI version of Kilmer portrays Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist. The cast includes Abigail Lawrie, Tom Felton, Wes Studi, and Abigail Breslin.

Voorhees says Kilmer, who identified as part Native American, was drawn to the role years earlier. The filmmakers are now seeking distribution, intending to release the project this year.

“It was very unfortunate that his health at the time prevented him from playing this role which spoke to him spiritually and culturally,” Voorhees tells AP. “We are honored to collaborate with his daughter Mercedes, who brings her own filmmaking experience, to bring this character to life in the way that we had all originally imagined it.”

Image credits: First Line Films