Val Kilmer Lives Again – AI Brings the Hollywood Legend Back in New Thriller ‘As Deep as the Grave’
Val Kilmer is appearing in a brand-new film even though he passed away in 2025. The actor was originally cast in 2015 as Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist, in As Deep as the Grave. At the time, Kilmer was too sick with throat cancer to film. Now, thanks to advanced AI technology, he appears in the movie with the full support of his family.
“He was the actor I wanted to play this role,” said Coerte Voorhees, the film’s writer and director. “It was very much designed around him. It drew on his Native American heritage and his ties to and love of the Southwest. He was just going through a really, really tough time medically, and he couldn’t do it.”
The filmmakers worked closely with Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes, and his son, Jack, to bring the actor to life on screen using generative AI. Voorhees explained that Kilmer’s family saw the project as important, and that the late actor wanted to be part of it. “Despite the fact some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted,” Voorhees said.
As Deep as the Grave, which was previously titled Canyon of the Dead, tells the true story of Southwestern archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris and their work in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, exploring the history of the Navajo people. Abigail Lawrie stars alongside Tom Felton, with Wes Studi and Abigail Breslin also appearing. Kilmer’s AI version plays a significant role in the story, with his younger images and later-life footage combined to show his character at different ages. His voice is also digitally recreated, reflecting the effects of his throat cancer.
“The character in the film also suffers from tuberculosis,” said producer John Voorhees. “This historical character mirrored Val’s actual condition when he was suffering from throat cancer. This creates a bridge between the actor and the role.”
The production, an indie film, faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, extending its timeline to six years. Some scenes with Father Fintan had been cut but were restored once the filmmakers realized they were essential to the story. Voorhees said, “Normally we would just recast an actor. We can’t roll camera again. We don’t have the budget. We realized the technology is there for us.”
An AI version of Val Kilmer stars in the new “movie” ‘As Deep as the Grave.’
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) March 18, 2026
Kilmer was cast in the movie in 2015, five years before his death. But he was too sick amid his throat cancer battle to film. An AI version of him appears in the film, with the blessing of his daughter. pic.twitter.com/seTrT8Ia0a
Mercedes Kilmer confirmed her support for the project, saying her father valued emerging technologies as tools for storytelling. “This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part,” she said.
Val Kilmer had already embraced AI in 2022 when he used Sonantic’s technology to recreate his voice for Top Gun: Maverick. He called the experience “an incredibly special gift” that allowed him to communicate despite the damage from his throat cancer.
This use of AI has sparked debate in Hollywood, with some worrying about job loss and the ethics of recreating actors digitally. The filmmakers stress that Kilmer’s estate was compensated and that the process followed SAG guidelines, hoping to show AI can be used responsibly in film.
Bringing Kilmer back on screen in As Deep as the Grave offers fans a final chance to see the actor’s work in a way he wanted.
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