- Actor Val Kilmer appears in the new film. As deep as the grave through an AI-generated performance created after his death
- The technology allows filmmakers to complete roles using digital images.
- Val Kilmer’s family gave permission to use the image produced by AI
Val Kilmer passed away in 2025, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it based on the trailer for the upcoming film. As deep as the grave and that despite having been shot after his death.
The trailer for the indie drama was unveiled Wednesday (April 15) at CinemaCon and features an AI-generated Kilmer in the role of Father Fintan, a priest whose character bridges Catholic tradition and Native American spirituality.
“Do not fear the dead or me,” Kilmer’s replacement proclaims in the trailer. It’s so direct that there’s no way the filmmakers didn’t deliberately devise it to reference the situation behind the camera.
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Virtual Kilmer
The film focuses on archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris, whose work in the American Southwest during the 1920s uncovered remains linked to the ancestral Pueblo people. Kilmer had reportedly been interested in the combination of historical narrative and spiritual background before he passed away.
At the time, his health made it difficult for him to fully commit to the production; his battle with throat cancer had already limited his ability to speak and act. However, that didn’t stop the producers from writing the character with him in mind, and after his passing, director Coerte Voorhees decided not to simply recast or rewrite him.
With the support of Kilmer’s estate and his daughter, Mercedes, production moved forward using a digital version of an imagined Kilmer performance.
That decision places As deep as the grave in a growing category of films that use AI for performances; the science fiction shortecho chaser is another recent example. Here, Kilmer’s character is woven into the story in a substantial way, making his presence central rather than symbolic.
actor’s illusion
To create AI Kilmer, producers used existing images of the actor as a visual base, allowing artists to reconstruct movements and facial expressions. AI audio models trained on previous recordings of the actor recreated the cadence and tone of Kilmer’s voice.
After more layers and refinements, the virtual performance was integrated into the film as coherently as possible. The goal is not to replicate a single past performance, but to create something that seems consistent with the actor’s established style.
There is a certain continuity to this approach. During his lifetime, Kilmer had already explored AI-assisted voice technology to help restore his speech after cancer affected his vocal cords. The tools used in the film extend that work to a new context.
The filmmakers have emphasized that the process was carried out with the approval and participation of Kilmer’s family. That detail is important in an industry where the use of digital images has become a topic of intense debate. Consent and control are fundamental to the reception of these projects, both by the public and other actors.
amazing performance
Kilmer is recognizable and a little disorienting to watch in the trailer. The face is familiar, it sounds and moves like him, but even if you didn’t know it was AI, you’d probably notice the slight disconnect between the avatar’s behavior and Kilmer’s actual performances.
The release of the trailer has already sparked debate throughout the industry. Organizations like SAG-AFTRA have expressed concerns about how digital images created by AI are being implemented. Some filmmakers and studios argue that technology offers new ways to preserve performances and complete projects that would otherwise remain unfinished.
It’s too early to say which approach will win, but either way it’s a step into uncertain territory, where the boundaries between authorship and presence become less clear.
AI changes the way performances can be preserved, for better or worse. As AI continues to reshape what is possible on screen, audiences are being asked to embrace new types of performances. We may not have to fear AI Kilmer, but we should definitely take its creators’ plans seriously.
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