Actor Val Kilmer died a year ago, but you’ll see an AI version of him in an upcoming movie.
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Late Hollywood actor Val Kilmer will posthumously star in the upcoming historical drama As Deep As the Grave using artificial intelligence, director Coerte Voorhees announced on Wednesday, honoring a commitment the actor made before passing away in 2025 at age 65 after a battle with throat cancer.
The film will utilize advanced generative technology to recreate the likeness of the deceased star. While the film industry has experimented with digital resurrections in the past, this upcoming project aims to deliver one of the most seamless and successful integrations of a deceased actor’s digital double to date.
A Long-Awaited Role Brought to Life Posthumously
Director and writer Coerte Voorhees revealed to Variety that the production will employ AI to portray Father Fintan, a Native American priest. This casting fulfills a long-standing agreement, as Kilmer originally signed on to play the character five years ago. However, his escalating battle with throat cancer ultimately prevented him from filming his scenes before his death.
Based on a true story, As Deep As the Grave follows an archaeologist couple in the 1920s collaborating with the Navajo nation to uncover the secrets of America’s earliest civilizations. Although Kilmer’s digital performance is officially locked in, the production team has not yet announced a formal release date for the movie.
The AI Revolution and Hollywood’s Growing Tensions
The decision to resurrect Kilmer digitally comes at a highly sensitive time for the entertainment industry. Generative AI has rapidly permeated various sectors of filmmaking, moving from script generation to replicating actors’ physical likenesses and vocal patterns with uncanny precision. In some controversial cases, studios have even bypassed human talent entirely to create virtual actors. This technological shift has sparked intense debates over creative ownership, consent, and compensation for performers whose identities can now be infinitely duplicated by software.
SAG-AFTRA Fights for Digital Protections
These advancements have been strongly opposed by the SAG-AFTRA labor union, which represents media professionals. The guild is actively striking against video game companies and remains currently in precarious negotiations with film and TV studios to secure stronger boundaries. Following a historic strike lasting over 100 days, SAG-AFTRA established baseline safeguards requiring requirements for clear consent and fair pay for digital replicas, with current talks aiming to expand these safety nets. Representatives for the union did not immediately offer a comment regarding Kilmer’s posthumous casting.
Family Blesses Kilmer’s Digital Performance
Despite the broader industry anxieties, Voorhees emphasized that Kilmer’s family fully supports the digital recreation. The actor’s children have given their blessings to the project, viewing it as a continuation of their father’s forward-thinking mindset.
“He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling,” his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, stated, according to Variety. “This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part.”