Val Kilmer Revived by AI for Historical Film After His Death

The actor Val Kilmer, although he left this world in 2025, is set to make an unexpected return to the big screen thanks to artificial intelligence technology. The film As Deep As the Grave, a historical drama, will feature a digital version of Kilmer, who passed away at the age of 65 after battling throat cancer. The film industry has already experimented with using AI to bring back deceased actors, but this attempt could be one of the most advanced to date.

Director and screenwriter Coerte Voorhees shared with Variety his intention to use AI to recreate Kilmer's appearance in the role of Father Fintan, a Native American priest. The film, As Deep As the Grave, is inspired by a true story about a couple of archaeologists collaborating with the Navajo people in the 1920s to explore early American civilizations. Kilmer had initially accepted this role five years ago, but his illness prevented him from completing it. To date, no release date has been announced for this film project.

The use of AI in cinema is sparking heated debates in Hollywood, where this technology is infiltrating nearly every aspect of production, from screenwriting to creating digital images of actors' faces and voices. AI can now reproduce performances with unsettling accuracy, and some studios have even begun creating entirely digital "actors." This technological evolution raises complex questions about artists' consent, compensation, and the ownership of their likeness, as their artistic identity can be reproduced, altered, or even replaced by algorithms.

These developments are strongly contested by the SAG-AFTRA union, which represents artists and is currently engaged in strikes against video game companies while negotiating with film and television studios. After a strike that lasted more than 100 days, the union succeeded in establishing some protections against generative AI, including requirements for explicit consent and fair compensation. Ongoing discussions aim to strengthen these measures to protect artists.

A representative from SAG-AFTRA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, Voorhees stated that Kilmer's children support this digital resurrection initiative. Mercedes Kilmer, the actor's daughter, said in a statement relayed by Variety that her father always viewed new technologies as tools to enrich storytelling. "This spirit is something we all honor in this specific film, of which he was an integral part," she added.