Hollywood Debuts First Major Film Starring AI-Recreated Val Kilmer

The trailer for "As Deep as the Grave," the first major Hollywood film to feature an authorized generative AI recreation of a deceased actor, premiered at the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas on Wednesday, April 16, showing actor Val Kilmer — who died on April 1, 2025, at the age of 65 — in the role of Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist. The film is directed by Coerte Voorhees and produced by his brother John Voorhees. Kilmer had been cast in the role years before his death but was never able to film any scenes due to deteriorating health following his diagnosis with throat cancer. The production used archival footage, photographs, and voice recordings to construct the performance, working with UK-based company Sonantic on the AI voice. The trailer, approximately one and a half minutes long, shows Kilmer's character at different ages, from a younger man to an elderly figure, and includes the line: "Don't fear the dead and don't fear me."

Family authorized the digital recreation at every stage Kilmer's estate and his daughter Mercedes Kilmer authorized and actively collaborated on the digital recreation, providing archival materials to the production and receiving financial compensation. John Voorhees said the family participated artistically "in every possible way," going beyond simple legal consent. „He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling. This spirit is something that we are all honouring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part.” — Mercedes Kilmer via The Guardian The Voorhees brothers stated they followed all guidelines established by the SAG-AFTRA actors' union, which John Voorhees summarized as covering consent, compensation, and collaboration. The AI-generated character appears on screen for over one hour of the film's running time, making it one of the most extensive uses of this technology in a feature film to date. Coerte Voorhees stated he does not believe audiences watching the film will be able to tell that Kilmer's performance was not a human one. „We are 100% confident that this is really the right thing to do for this particular film and we really, really can't wait for everyone to be able to judge it for themselves.” — Coerte Voorhees via Reuters

Online backlash follows trailer release, critics call it disturbing The trailer's release triggered a wave of criticism on social media, with commentators describing the recreation as "terrifying" and "disgusting." One commenter wrote that Kilmer's in-character line — "Do not be afraid of the dead and do not be afraid of me" — made the trailer "even more terrifying," while another noted that the phrase "rest in peace" exists "for a reason." The broader debate reflects widespread anxiety in Hollywood over the unauthorized use of actors' likenesses and the potential displacement of human performers by AI-generated replacements. John Voorhees acknowledged the unease directly. „There is so much change happening that of course it is scary and it is something people are not sure about.” — John Voorhees via Reuters The Voorhees brothers argued their project demonstrates that AI can be deployed ethically in filmmaking, with full family involvement and union compliance. „We are making a bold claim, a bold statement, which is that we believe we are doing this in an ethical manner.” — John Voorhees via Rai news

Kilmer's history with AI and the film's long road to production "As Deep as the Grave" is a historical drama about archaeologist couple Ann and Earl Morris, played by Abigail Lawrie and Tom Felton, who excavated remains of the indigenous Anasazi people in the American southwest during the 1920s. The cast also includes Abigail Breslin. The film was among the first productions to begin shooting in New Mexico in the autumn of 2020 during the pandemic, and suffered numerous interruptions before the decision was made to recreate Kilmer's role using AI. Kilmer himself had a prior relationship with AI voice technology: after losing his voice following throat cancer treatment and two tracheotomies, he worked with Sonantic to digitally recreate it, and his voice was also modified digitally for his cameo in "Top Gun: Maverick" in 2022. The director said in March, speaking to the Associated Press, that the film and its themes were "very much designed around" Kilmer, drawing on his Native American heritage and his connection to the American southwest.

Val Kilmer rose to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s with roles including Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in "Top Gun" and Doc Holliday in "Tombstone," as well as his portrayal of Jim Morrison in "The Doors." He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 and underwent two tracheotomies, which severely affected his voice. His final major screen appearance came in "Top Gun: Maverick" in 2022, for which his voice was digitally enhanced using AI. He died on April 1, 2025, at the age of 65, from pneumonia complications related to his throat cancer. The use of AI to recreate deceased performers has become an increasingly contested issue in Hollywood, with the SAG-AFTRA union negotiating specific guidelines around consent, compensation, and collaboration following the 2023 actors' strike.

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