March 19, (THEWILL) — The late American actor, Val Kilmer, will appear posthumously in the upcoming film “As Deep as the Grave” through the use of artificial intelligence, despite never filming his role before his death from pneumonia in April 2025.
Kilmer had been cast as Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist, but could not take part due to his battle with throat cancer.
“He was the actor I wanted to play this role. It was very much designed around him… He was just going through a really, really tough time medically, and he couldn’t do it”, director Coerte Voorhees stated.
The filmmakers have recreated Kilmer’s performance using generative AI, with full support from his estate and his children, Mercedes and Jack Kilmer.
“His family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this. Despite the fact that some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted”, Voorhees said.
“As Deep as the Grave” tells the true story of archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris and their work with the Navajo people in the American Southwest. The film stars Abigail Lawrie and Tom Felton, alongside Wes Studi and Abigail Breslin.
Kilmer’s AI-generated character will appear in a significant part of the film, using images from his life and recreated audio based on his later voice.
The production company, Line Films, reports that the movie has been in post-production for three years and is now nearing completion, with a planned release in 2026.
The filmmakers say they followed industry guidelines and worked closely with Kilmer’s family, who supported the decision.
In a statement, his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, said her father embraced new technology as a storytelling tool. “He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling,” she said.
The use of AI in the film comes as Hollywood debates the ethics, consent, and impact of AI on creative work.
Kilmer, known for films such as “The Doors”, “Batman Forever” and “Top Gun”, had previously used AI technology to recreate his voice for “Top Gun: Maverick”.
Evi Ben Ezaga writes on entertainment, culture, and trending stories.
