The makers of a new film featuring the late Val Kilmer in a prominent role say their approach is ethical and paves the way for the use of artificial intelligence in Hollywood.
The indie film As Deep as the Grave has an AI-rendered version of Val Kilmer in it.
A trailer of the film debuted at CinemaCon in Las Vegas this week.
Filmmaker brothers Coerte and John Voorhees say they gained consent from Kilmer’s children to use AI to depict him in the movie.
As Deep as the Grave is a historical drama based on the careers of archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris, who explored the history of the Navajo people in New Mexico.
The use of generative AI to recreate Kilmer for the film became a hot button topic when it was announced last month.
Archival footage, photos and voice recordings were used to help craft the performance, according to the filmmakers.
Writer and director Coerte Voorhees said in an interview that he did not think audiences would be able to tell that they were not seeing a human performance.
“We are 100 per cent confident it’s really the right move with this specific film, and we’re really, really looking forward to everyone being able to judge it for themselves,” he said at the CinemaCon event.
John Voorhees said family collaborated artistically “in every possible way” and that Kilmer’s estate permitted his digital replication.
The estate was compensated for it and provided archival footage to help the process.
“We believe we’re doing this in an ethical way,” John Voorhees said.
Kilmer signed on to star in As Deep as the Grave several years ago but was unable to make it onto the set because of poor health.
He died at the age of 65 in 2025 from pneumonia after battling throat cancer.
When he lost his natural speaking voice after two tracheotomies, Kilmer turned to an AI software company to digitally recreate his voice.
His voice was also digitally altered to help his final screen performance in Top Gun: Maverick.
‘Terrifying’ and ‘disgusting’
A trailer from As Deep as the Grave, released this week, shows Kilmer in the role of Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist.
“Don’t fear the dead. And don’t fear me,” Kilmer’s likeness says in the trailer, in which he is shown at various ages.
Some have called the trailer “terrifying” and “disgusting” on social media.
“It’s called REST IN PEACE for a reason,” one social media user said.
The filmmakers said they hoped they were showing Hollywood how to use the technology in a positive way, and that they had followed all guidelines on AI use set forth by the actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA.
“There’s so much change happening that of course it’s scary and it’s something that people are uncertain about,” John Voorhees said.
The use of AI was a major factor when actors joined writers on strike, saying it was an issue that needed to be dealt with immediately.
More recently, an AI-generated film sparked backlash at Tropfest.
The world’s first “AI actor”, Tilly Norwood, has also caused controversy.
The filmmakers said Kilmer signed on to As Deep as the Grave years ago and much of the film was structured around his character.
Instead of recasting the role when Kilmer had to pull out at the last minute due to health issues, they decided to proceed shooting without the character, but later realised the story needed Father Fintan.
The filmmakers then broached the topic with Kilmer’s children, Mercedes and Jack.
“We were so glad they were so excited and so supportive of the idea,” Coerte Voorhees said.
“We didn’t want to do it unless everybody thought this was going to work properly.”
The movie is slated for release this year.
ABC/wires