Actor Val Kilmer to appear in new film using a voice-generating AI, with the help of his family.
Val Kilmer in 'As Deep As the Grave, His Performance was AI Generated
https://variety.com/2026/film/news/val-kilmer-ai-film-as-deep-as-the-grave-1236691042/
An AI-generated version of the late Val Kilmer is starring in a new movie
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/val-kilmer-ai-generated-new-movie-rcna264195
An AI-rendered Val Kilmer will co-star in a new film | AP News
https://apnews.com/article/val-kilmer-ai-movie-5e32b8e3ee65a01b75902bf4d0bf0b98
'As Deep as the Grave' is a retitled version of 'Canyon Del Muerto,' which was reported in October 2020 as a new historical action-adventure film directed and written by Coerte Voorhees, in which Kilmer was slated to play Father Fintan, a Catholic priest.
Kilmer suffered from throat cancer and lost his voice at one point, but in 2021, with the help of voice cloning company Sonantic, he was able to speak with his own voice again, and he appeared in the 2022 film 'Top Gun: Maverick' as Iceman, the same role he played in the 1986 original.
Amazon.co.jp: Top Gun: Maverick [Blu-ray]: Tom Cruise, Ed Harris, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Joseph Kosinski: DVD
Filming for 'As Deep as the Grave' began in January 2023. Kilmer was in poor health and passed away in April 2025 without being able to join the filming.
Director Voorhees recalled, 'Father Fintan was a role I wanted Mr. Kilmer to play. The script was built around Mr. Kilmer, and it reflected his Native American roots, his love for the Southwest, and his connection to it. However, he was in a very difficult situation due to health problems and was unable to take on the role.'
Nevertheless, director Voorhees, who desperately wanted to include Kilmer in the film, enlisted the help of Kilmer's estate, his daughter Mercedes, and his son Jack, and used cutting-edge generative AI to bring Kilmer into the movie.
Director Voorhees says that Kilmer wanted to appear in this film, and that his wish was made possible thanks to the understanding of the family.
There have been several instances of deceased actors appearing in films. For example, in Ridley Scott's film 'Gladiator,' Oliver Reed, who played Proximo, died suddenly before filming was completed. As a result, the unfilmed scenes were shot using an actor who resembled him, ensuring his face was not visible.
In James Wan's film 'Furious 7,' Paul Walker, who played one of the two main characters Brian O'Conner, died in a car accident before filming wrapped. As a result, his brothers Caleb and Cody took over the remaining scenes.
In the Star Wars series, Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia, passed away after filming for Episode 8, 'The Last Jedi,' was completed. As a result, she made an archival appearance in Episode 9, 'The Rise of Skywalker,' using unused footage from previous films, and her daughter, Billie Lourd, played the role of a younger Leia in flashback scenes.
In the cases of Walker and Fisher, the method used was to 'superimpose the deceased person's face onto that of a stand-in.' What distinguishes this case from previous examples is that AI was used, making it the 'first instance of using AI to bring a deceased person into a film.'
The labor union SAG-AFTRA has mandated that actors be given their consent before using digital replicas and has also criticized AI actors, but has not commented on this case, partly because Kilmer's family cooperated. Director Voorhees has stated that he is following SAG-AFTRA's guidelines.
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