Val Kilmer Ressurected Through AI in First Look at AS DEEP AS THE GRAVE
There’s a fascinating and complicated story unfolding around As Deep as the Grave, an indie drama that’s now getting attention for bringing Val Kilmer back to the screen using AI.
The film has released its first look at Kilmer’s character, Father Fintan, and it’s already sparking conversation about technology, legacy, and storytelling in Hollywood.
Years before his passing in 2025, Kilmer had been cast in the film by writer-director Coerte Voorhees, who built the role specifically for him. Unfortunately, Kilmer’s health struggles with throat cancer prevented him from ever stepping on set.
“He was the actor I wanted to play this role. 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.”
Even though Kilmer never filmed a scene, Voorhees didn’t let that vision go. Instead, he turned to generative AI to complete the performance, working closely with Kilmer’s family to make sure it was done respectfully. The result is a version of the actor that will appear in a significant role throughout the film.
“His family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this,” says Coerte Voorhees. “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 film itself tells the true story of archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris and their work in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, where they sought to trace the history of the Navajo people.
It stars Abigail Lawrie and Tom Felton, with a supporting cast that includes Wes Studi and Abigail Breslin. Kilmer’s Father Fintan exists within that world as a spiritual figure, and the production uses a mix of archival images, family-provided materials, and footage from his later years to create a performance that spans different periods of the character’s life.
Even his voice has been recreated, building on technology similar to what Kilmer previously used after a tracheal procedure affected his speech.
The road to finishing As Deep as the Grave wasn’t easy. The indie production stretched across six years, dealing with pandemic delays and financial limitations. At one stage, Father Fintan’s scenes were cut entirely. But once the filmmakers reviewed the edit, they realized something was missing.
“We really figured out that this is a major missing element,” says Coerte Voorhees. “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.
That decision lands right in the middle of an ongoing industry debate. AI in film has raised concerns about consent, job security, and creative ownership. Voorhees and his team were aware of that tension and made sure to follow SAG guidelines, while also compensating Kilmer’s estate for the use of his likeness.
Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes, has publicly supported the project and shared insight into why this story mattered to her father.
“He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling,” Mercedes Kilmer said. “This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part.”
That perspective lines up with Kilmer’s own experience with AI during his lifetime. Fans will remember that he used similar tech to reprise Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Top Gun: Maverick, allowing him to communicate on screen despite his health challenges.
At the time, Kilmer said he was “grateful” to the technology company. “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,” he added. “The chance to narrate my story, in a voice that feels authentic and familiar, is an incredibly special gift.”
Now, As Deep as the Grave is taking that idea even further. It’s not just a technical achievement, it’s a continuation of a performance that almost didn’t happen.
Whether audiences embrace it or push back, this film is stepping into new territory and forcing a conversation that Hollywood isn’t going to avoid anytime soon.
Source: Variety