Almost a year after the late Hollywood star passed away Val Kilmer is set to return to the screens in an unexpected way. The actor has been digitally resurrected using generic AI for an upcoming film titled As Deep as the Grave.
Val Kilmer revived by AI
In 2020, Val was cast as Father Fintan, a Catholic priest, in the then-titled Canyon of the Dead. However, the actor’s cancer worsened, preventing him from filming any scenes in the much-delayed film. Now, six years later, a year after Val’s death, the late actor is set to return to the screens with the film, which has been renamed As Deep as the Grave. This is made possible by Generative AI. The first look of the film has also been released.
“He was the actor I wanted to play this role. It was very much designed around him. It was based on his Native American heritage and his relationship and love with the Southwest. I was looking at a call sheet the other day, and we had him ready to shoot. He was going through a really tough time medically, and he couldn’t do it,” says the film’s writer and director Koert Voorhees.
according to DiversityThis was done with the actor’s permission and the support of his family and estate. His family supports the film and provides the production with photographs of his youth to use. The outlet also reported that property compensation was also given.
“His family kept saying how important they thought this movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of it. They really thought this was an important story that he wanted his name on. It was that support that gave me the confidence to say, OK let’s do this. Despite the fact that some people might call it controversial, that’s what Val wanted,” said Coeurte.
As Deep as the Grave is about Southwestern archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris, detailing their excavations in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, in their effort to trace the history of the Navajo people. It also stars Abigail Laurie, Tom Felton, Wes Studi and Abigail Breslin.
An AI-generated version of the actor will appear in “a significant portion” of the finished film. The project uses images of Val in her youth, many of which were provided by her family, and footage from her final years to show her character at different stages of her life. Val’s voice is also used in the audio.
Val Kilmer dies at 65 after battle with cancer
Val Kilmer, known for his roles in films such as Batman Forever and Top Gun, died on April 1, 2025, at the age of 65.
Val, who became famous for playing rival naval aviator Tom Iceman Kazansky Tom Cruise, of the 1986 mega box-office hit Top Gun, died of pneumonia in Los Angeles, his daughter Mercedes Kilmer told The New York Times.
The actor was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, and permanently lost his voice after undergoing a tracheotomy. Val, a documentary about his life, which premiered in Cannes in July 2021, showed him requiring a breathing tube. Val was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and later recovered, her daughter said in the report.
Val continued to work until his death and made his final film appearance with Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick. His character, Iceman, in the 2022 blockbuster film overcomes his lack of voice by communicating by typing on a computer, although he also speaks briefly. At that time, Vail partnered with Sonantic to create an AI-generated speaking voice for Top Gun: Maverick.
Val’s marriage to actor Joan Whalley, whom he met on the set of Ron Howard’s children’s fantasy film Willow (1988), ended in divorce. His survivors include his children, Mercedes and Jack. Val lived on a farm near Santa Fe for several years. Val is also known for playing Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever, airing as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s The Doors, and starring in many other favorite 1980s films.