Val Kilmer returns in new film via AI, one year after death sparks Hollywood ethics debate

An AI-rendered Val Kilmer will posthumously appear in a new film

NEW YORK (AP) -- A year after the actor's death, a generative AI version of Val Kilmer will co-star in an independent film, in one of the boldest uses yet of artificial intelligence in moviemaking. First Line Films announced Wednesday that Kilmer has posthumously joined the cast of a film titled "As Deep as the Grave." The producers said that, before his death, Kilmer had signed on to perform in the movie but was unable to because of his health. Kilmer's estate gave permission for his digital replication, and is being compensated for it. Mercedes Kilmer, the actor's daughter, said the role resonated with her father. "He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling," she said 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 at the age of 65 from pneumonia. In 2014, Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer and required two tracheotomies. After losing his natural speaking voice, Kilmer turned to an AI software company to digital recreate his voice. In his final screen performance, 2022's "Top Gun: Maverick," Kilmer's voice was digitally altered. The use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking has been one of the most contentious topics in Hollywood in recent years. Lately, some have attempted to make greater inroads for AI-generated performance. The company Xicoia last year launched the AI-concocted persona "Tilly Norwood"; earlier this month, it debuted a music video. SAG-AFTRA, the actors union, has condemned Xicoia's "AI actor," but it has regulations around other uses of the technology. Its rules stipulate that consent from performers must be given for the use of digital replicas. "Consent not obtained before death must be obtained from an authorized representative or the union," reads its guidance. Representatives for SAG-AFTRA didn't immediately respond to questions Wednesday. "As Deep as the Grave," formerly titled "Canyon of the Dead," was shot several years ago but has been stuck in postproduction. It's based on a true story about the archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris, whose Arizona excavations uncovered Native American history. The AI version of Kilmer plays Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist. The cast includes Abigail Lawrie, Tom Felton, Wes Studi and Abigail Breslin. Coerte Voorhees, the film's writer and director, said Kilmer, who identified as part Native American, was drawn to the project five years ago. Producers are seeking distribution with the hope of releasing the film 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 said. "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."

Val Kilmer is starring in a new film, even though he died last year -- here's how AI made it possible

AI is getting faster, cheaper and more embedded in everyday tools -- but every once in a while, a story comes along that makes you stop and rethink what this technology is actually capable of. This is one of those moments. First reported by Variety, a new film, "As Deep as the Grave," will feature Val Kilmer -- despite the fact that the actor died in 2025. And it's not archival footage or a cameo. It's a performance recreated using AI. At first glance, it sounds like something out of science fiction. But this isn't theoretical anymore. It's actually possible and happening now in Hollywood -- and it raises bigger questions than just how the tech works. How AI recreated Val Kilmer for a new movie The filmmakers behind "As Deep as the Grave" used AI to digitally reconstruct Kilmer's voice and likeness, allowing him to "appear" in the film in a way that goes far beyond traditional CGI or body doubles. This builds on technology Kilmer had already experimented with before his death and other actors like Matthew Mcconaughey have done. After losing his natural speaking voice due to throat cancer, AI tools were used to recreate his voice for projects like "Top Gun: Maverick" -- a moment that many viewers didn't even realize was AI-assisted. What's different now is the scale. Most of us are used to smaller scale tools for AI video generation like Veo 3.1 and Sora. But now, instead of enhancing a performance, AI is effectively enabling a new one. Tools like those from ElevenLabs can effortlessly recreate any voice with a single prompt for use in later projects. And importantly, this wasn't done without permission. Variety reported that Kilmer's family was involved in approving the use of his likeness, adding a layer of legitimacy -- but also complexity -- to the project. This is bigger than one movie This could be a turning point in Hollywood. The film industry has been experimenting with digital humans and de-aging technology for years. But AI is accelerating that shift in a way that's faster and more convincing than anything we've seen before. We're now entering a phase where actors can appear in films long after they're gone, performances can be extended, modified or recreated and studios can build entire scenes around synthetic versions of real people. And this isn't limited to movies. The same underlying technology is already showing up in video cloning tools, AI-generated video platforms and virtual influencers and digital avatars. The gap between "real" and "recreated" is shrinking quickly. The ethical line is getting harder to define, too. What makes this story especially compelling isn't just the technology -- it's the questions it raises. Even with family approval, there's still a deeper conversation happening. There's no clear answer to questions like where do we draw the line between tribute and exploitation or even who owns a person's likeness after they die. AI is moving faster than what we thought was possible and even the laws and ethics around it. Final thoughts AI stories often focus on productivity, speed or convenience -- and those are important. But moments like this highlight how AI is reshaping culture. Artificial intelligence has gone beyond summaries and writing emails faster to reshaping what it means to exist in a digital world. And if this technology continues to evolve -- which it will -- we're likely to see more projects like this in the near future. Whether you find this technology exciting or unsettling, it shows how far the technology has come. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.

Val Kilmer set to be be resurrected with AI for new film

As Deep As the Grave, the true story of 1920s archeologists, will bring late actor back with support from his estate Val Kilmer is set to be the latest Hollywood star to be resurrected by AI. The acting legend, who died last year at age 65, will star in the drama As Deep As the Grave. Kilmer was attached to the project prior to his death from throat cancer. The late actor will play Father Fintan, a Native American spiritualist and Catholic priest. Speaking to Variety, director and writer Coerte Voorhees said that the role was designed around Kilmer, who was an advocate for Native American rights and claimed to have Cherokee heritage. "He was the actor I wanted to play this role," explained Voorhees. "It drew on his Native American heritage and his ties to and love of the Southwest." But Kilmer was unable to make it to set due to his battle with throat cancer. The film-maker is working in conjunction with the late actor's estate and his daughter, Mercedes, to bring Kilmer back to life with state-of-the-art, generative AI. Voorhees says that Kilmer's son, Jack, an actor who starred alongside Rory Culkin in 2018's Lord of Chaos, also supports the project. "His family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this," Voorhees told Variety. "He really thought it was important story that he wanted his name on ... Despite the fact some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted." As Deep As the Grave is based on the true story of archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris, who worked with the Navajo people in the 1920s to uncover North America's earliest civilization, the Ancestral Puebloan. The film, previously titled Canyon Del Muerto, has been in the works since 2023 with Harry Potter actor Tom Felton set to star as Earl and Bafta winner Abigail Lawrie to play Ann. A supporting cast includes the Oscar winner Wes Studi and actor Jacob Fortune-Lloyd. The AI-generated version of Kilmer will appear in a "significant" portion of the film, says Voorhees. The film will use images of the actor taken throughout his life to re-create Kilmer through the decades. In recent years, AI has begun to creep into Hollywood films, and in 2024 Brady Corbet's Oscar-winning epic The Brutalist used AI to fine-tune actor Adrien Brody's Hungarian accent. Last year, Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine signed deals with startup ElevenLabs allowing the company to create AI versions of their voices. The 2021 documentary Val told the story of Kilmer's life through archive footage, with voiceover from the actor's son.

Val Kilmer Is Dead, But AI Is Bringing Him Back To Star In A New Movie

A digital version of the late Batman actor will play a priest in the upcoming film As Deep as the Grave Top Gun and Batman Forever actor Val Kilmer died in April 2025. But that won't stop Hollywood. An AI-generated digital version of Kilmer will star in an upcoming movie that he was originally set to be in before he passed away. On March 18, as first revealed by Variety, Kilmer is being digitally resurrected through the power of generative AI technology to play Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist in the upcoming fact-based flick As Deep as the Grave. The film's director told the outlet that he didn't want to recast Kilmer, despite the actor's death. "He was the actor I wanted to play this role," said director Coerte Voorhees. "It was very much designed around him. It drew on his Native American heritage and his ties to and love of the Southwest. I was looking at a call sheet the other day, and we had him ready to shoot. He was just going through a really, really tough time medically, and he couldn't do it." So the director decided to use "state-of-the-art" generative AI tech to recreate Kilmer for his film despite the actor never stepping foot on set to film a single scene and being dead for nearly a year now. Kilmer's children and estate are all on board, according to Voorhees. "His family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this," said Voorhees. "He really thought it was an important story that he wanted his name on. It was that support that gave me the confidence to say, 'Okay, let's do this.'" The director admits that reviving a dead actor like this using generative AI is going to be "controversial" but claims that "this is what Val wanted." "Normally, we would just recast an actor," explained the director. "I'm all about working with our actors, and we have brilliant performances all throughout this movie. But we can't roll camera again. We don't have the budget. We're not a big studio film. So we had to think of innovative ways to do it. And we realized the technology is there for us." Kilmer's estate approves of using AI to recreate the actor Kilmer's daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, fully supports the film using AI to bring her deceased father back to life. Voorhees tells Variety that Kilmer's son Jack is also "supportive." Voorhees says the production followed SAG guidelines on AI tech and that Kilmer's estate was properly compensated for his appearance in the film. "He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling," said Mercedes Kilmer. "This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part." The AI-generated version of Kilmer will appear in "a significant part" of As Deep as the Grave. The AI actor was built using younger images of Kilmer provided to the production by his family as well as footage of the actor during his final years. The idea is to show the character through various stages of his life. AI Kilmer will feature a voice built from recordings of the late actor in his final years after his voice was damaged by a tracheal operation. The director says this was all part of the plan when they cast Kilmer as Father Fintan, a real person who suffered from tuberculosis and also had a damaged voice. In 2022, Kilmer worked with Sonantic to help create an AI-powered speaking voice for himself when he reprised his role as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick. "As human beings, the ability to communicate is the core of our existence, and the side effects from throat cancer have made it difficult for others to understand me," Kilmer said at the time. "The chance to narrate my story, in a voice that feels authentic and familiar, is an incredibly special gift."

AI brings Val Kilmer back from the dead for new film

Nothing stops Hollywood from making money, not even death itself. Despite Val Kilmer's tragic passing last year, he is set to return in the upcoming film As Deep as the Grave. A role in which he has been recreated using AI. Kilmer was originally slated to star in the film, but his declining health meant he was never able to film his scenes. Instead, director Coerte Voorhees, with the support of Kilmer's family, has used archival footage and new technology to complete the performance. His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, has expressed her support and says that her father always saw new technology as a way to advance storytelling. At the same time, it's hard to ignore that nagging feeling: is this the future of Hollywood -- or the beginning of something far more unsettling? The film follows archaeologists in the American West and their work mapping the history of the Navajo people, where Kilmer reportedly still plays a "significant role" in the plot. "His family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this. He really thought it was important story that he wanted his name on. It was that support that gave me the confidence to say, okay let's do this. Despite the fact some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted." The increasingly heated debate over AI has thus been brought into the light once more and the question now is whether the film industry is entering a new phase where death no longer necessarily means the end of an actor's career. Uncomfortable, disgraceful, or cool? Well, what do you think? Are you okay with Hollywood bringing dead actors back to life through AI?

'We Can't Roll Camera Again. We Don't Have the Budget' -- AI-Generated Val Kilmer Will Appear in Upcoming Indie Movie With Family's Blessing

The late Val Kilmer will be resurrected via AI for an upcoming indie movie -- with the blessing of the actor's family. Variety reported that Kilmer, who died last year aged 65 after a long-running battle with throat cancer, will appear in AI form in As Deep as the Grave. The Top Gun, Tombstone, and Batman Forever star was cast as Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist Father Fintan in the movie, but was too sick to film it. Production was heavily delayed by the pandemic and the filmmakers were forced to cut scenes in which Fintan appeared, but they decided they had to put them back in to make the story make sense. Writer and director Coerte Voorhees justified the decision, pointing to the support of Kilmer's estate (which was compensated) and daughter Mercedes, adding that "despite the fact some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted." "We really figured out that this is a major missing element," Voorhees added. "Normally we would just recast an actor. I'm all about working with our actors, and we have brilliant performances all throughout this movie. But we can't roll camera again. We don't have the budget. We're not a big studio film. So we had to think of innovative ways to do it. And we realized the technology is there for us." Mercedes Kilmer added: "He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling. This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part." In 2021, Val Kilmer announced he had worked with a company to create an A.I.-powered speaking voice for himself, handing over hours of archival footage that was turned into a model. Kilmer went on to reprise his iconic role as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in 2022's Top Gun: Maverick, as part of an emotional scene with Tom Cruise that acted as a farewell of sorts. This isn't the first time a deceased actor has been resurrected via AI or other visuals technology. Lucasfilm has recreated Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia multiple times, including through digital de-aging in 2016's Rogue One, and by assembling unused archive footage for The Rise of Skywalker. More recently, Ian Holm reprised his role as android Ash in Alien Romulus -- despite having died in 2020, and Ghostbusters Afterlife featured Harold Ramis, who played Dr. Egon Spengler, as a CGI ghost. CGI and AI-driven deepfakes like these have sparked a vociferous debate regarding the ethics of using a deceased actor's likeness. And it's not reserved for the world of movies, either. In 2023, Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt used AI to replace a deceased voice actor after gaining permission from the family. And last year, AI Darth Vader hit Fortnite, voiced by the inimitable James Earl Jones, who died in September 2024 at the age of 93. Amid the arrival of the likes of AI "actor" Tilly Norwood, not everyone is a fan of AI "performances." Last year, Nicolas Cage slammed AI by saying any actor who lets it alter their performance is approaching "a dead end" as "robots cannot reflect the human condition." And in January, Marvel and Jurassic World star Chris Pratt called the panic within Hollywood about the potential impact of AI "actors" is "bulls**t." Photo by EuropaNewswire/Gado/Getty Images.