“He was the actor I wanted to play this role,” writer and director Coerte Voorhees told Variety<\/a> this week. “It was very much designed around him. It drew on his Native American heritage and his ties to and love of the Southwest.\u00a0<\/p>\n “I was looking at a call sheet the other day, and we had him ready to shoot. He was just going through a really, really tough time medically, and he couldn\u2019t do it.”<\/p>\n MORGAN FREEMAN THREATENS LEGAL ACTION OVER AI USE OF HIS VOICE, SAYS HE’S ‘A LITTLE PO’D’<\/a><\/p>\n An AI likeness of Val Kilmer will appear in an upcoming film. (Associated Press)<\/p>\n Many fans had negative reactions to the news.<\/p>\n “Did he say he was cool with this kinda thing before he died? If not, probably a gross thing to do,” one person wrote on X.\u00a0<\/p>\n Another said if it was just a “quick cameo” like Paul Walker in “Furious 7” after his death, that would be “fine,” but “if it’s an actual role with speaking parts, then what is the actual use of acting?”<\/p>\n A third commenter wrote, “In Hollywood, when you die, they resurrect you with AI and force you to keep working.”<\/p>\n ACTOR GEORGE CLOONEY CLAIMS THE RISE OF AI TECHNOLOGY IS DANGEROUS, SAYS ‘GENIE IS OUT OF THE BOTTLE’<\/a><\/p>\n “I do not care how much permission they had to do this, no one should be allowed to do this,” a fourth said. “It should be illegal to resurrect the visage of dead people with genAI imo.”<\/p>\n Someone else wrote, “No amount of moral dressing is going to change how sick and greedy this is. the family should be ashamed tbh.”<\/p>\n “This is difficult,” another person posted. “If Val wanted this, and desired to go with ‘one final hurray’, maybe it is acceptable. (When Oliver Reed died during Gladiator, they used a body double + light CGI to finish his scenes) But, when this becomes the norm…”<\/p>\n Some of Kilmer’s fans were upset at the idea of the film, while others were more supportive. (AP Images)<\/p>\n Still, some fans were supportive of the idea.<\/p>\n “Was about to come sh** on this, but apparently he and his daughter were close. would be nice to see someone you’ve lost on the big screen, though I wonder if it’ll feel like the real Kilmer,” one person wrote.<\/p>\n “People are going to disagree, but as long as he himself wanted it and his own family gave the greenlight, everyone else should shut up,” another said.<\/p>\n Voorhees said the AI version of Kilmer\u2019s character was made with the support of his estate and family, who were compensated.<\/p>\n “His family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this,” Voorhees shared. “He really thought it was an important story that he wanted his name on. It was that support that gave me the confidence to say, \u2018OK, let\u2019s do this.\u2019 Despite the fact some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted.”<\/p>\n The AI version of Kilmer was created using images of the actor<\/a> when he was younger, film of him in his last years and his voice.<\/p>\n LIKE WHAT YOU\u2019RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS<\/a><\/p>\n Kilmer’s son and daughter, Jack and Mercedes, at the Cannes Film Festival. (Lionel Hahn\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Kilmer will appear in a “significant part” of the film, which also stars Abigail Lawrie, Tom Felton, Wes Studi and Abigail Breslin.<\/p>\n “It was very unfortunate that his health at the time prevented him from playing this role which spoke to him spiritually and culturally,” Voorhees said, according to The Associated Press. “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.”<\/p>\n JAMES WOODS WARNS AI COULD BE THE ‘END OF HUMAN ACTORS’ IN HOLLYWOOD<\/a><\/p>\n On the IMDb page for the film, Kilmer’s role is credited to a “digital performer,” specifying that it is an “AI performance as Val Kilmer.”<\/p>\n “As Deep as the Grave” is based on a true story about two archaeologists\u2019 excavations in Arizona\u2019s Canyon of the Dead<\/a>.<\/p>\n An image of Val Kilmer during the “In Memoriam” tribute during the 32nd Annual Actor Awards March 1, 2026. (AP Photo\/Chris Pizzello)<\/p>\n Voorhees said that, at one point, scenes involving Kilmer\u2019s character were cut for budget reasons, but they later realized Father Fintan was a “major missing element.”<\/p>\n “Normally, we would just recast an actor,” he said. “I\u2019m all about working with our actors, and we have brilliant performances all throughout this movie. But we can\u2019t roll camera again. We don\u2019t have the budget. We\u2019re not a big studio film. So, we had to think of innovative ways to do it. And we realized the technology is there for us.”<\/p>\n Despite the controversies surrounding the use of AI in film, Kilmer\u2019s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, said she believes her father would have been supportive of it in this case.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/p>\n “He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling,” she said in a statement. “This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part.”<\/p>\n Voorhees stressed that he also followed SAG-AFTRA\u2019s regulations for the use of AI in film.<\/p>\n Kilmer died of pneumonia in April 2025. (Mark Mainz)<\/p>\n “Consent not obtained before death must be obtained from an authorized representative or the union,” the rules state.<\/p>\n Voorhees and his brother, producer John Voorhees, told The Associated Press, “We believe we are serving as a demonstrator for how to do it ethically and correctly, especially in the case of working with a deceased actor\u2019s estate and family.”<\/p>\n![\"Val](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/val-kilmer-1.jpg\")
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