We’re going to have to find new language for this one. First Line Films announced today that its upcoming historical drama “As Deep as the Grave” (formerly known as “Canyon of the Dead”) will, per an official press release, “feature actor Val Kilmer posthumously; a first-ever performance enabled by generative AI.” You can get a first look at the gen-AI-aided “Kilmer” above.
The release also tells us that “Kilmer was originally cast in the role of Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist who was a historical figure at the San Juan Mission in Farmington, NM, and that the actor, who passed away in April of 2025, “was unable to film due to his deteriorating health condition.”
But while Kilmer was “unable” to film any of the project, he will still “star” (“perform”? “appear”?) in the feature, thanks (?) to generative artificial intelligence. The film has been in post-production for the past three years.
Per the release, “state-of-the-art generative AI technology has enabled the filmmakers to honor Kilmer’s wish to perform this historical character, executed in collaboration with his estate and his surviving daughter Mercedes.”
The film is billed as “an action-adventure true portrayal of southwestern archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris. The film tells the story of their excavations in Canyon De Chelly, Arizona and the history of the Navajo people.”
The film was directed, written, and produced by Coerte Voorhees, and also stars Abigail Lawrie (as Ann Morris), Tom Felton (as Earl Morris), and Abigail Breslin (as Anne Morrow Lindbergh), plus Hanako Footman, Ewen Bremner, Tatanka Means, Finn Jones, and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd. The Navajo Nation and The National Park Service facilitated filming in the real archaeological locations of Canyon de Chelly and across the Four Corners region.
“When Val came onboard the project five years ago, he immediately identified with the historical southwestern spiritual character of Father Fintan, and understood the importance of elevating awareness of Ann Morris’s incredible story as the first female archaeologist in North America,” said Voorhees in an official statement. “It was very unfortunate that his health at the time prevented him from playing this role which spoke to him spiritually and culturally. We are honored to collaborate with his daughter Mercedes, who brings her own filmmaking experience, to bring this character to life in the way that we had all originally imagined it.”
Mercedes Kilmer collaborated with the production, and added in her own statement: “My father was a deeply spiritual man and this story of discovery and enlightenment in the American Southwest and his unique role in it really resonated with him. 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 honoring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part.”
Before his death, Kilmer worked with filmmaker Leo Scott to craft the documentary “Val,” which pulled form Kilmer’s own deep archives to chronicle his life. As Kilmer had lost the ability to speak after undergoing treatment for throat cancer in 2014, he recreated his old speaking voice by feeding hours of recorded audio of himself into an artificial intelligence algorithm.
“As Deep as the Grave” is now in post-production and is looking for distribution.