Val Kilmer To Be Resurrected Through AI For New Movie
In 2025, the world lost the great Val Kilmer. Known for his iconic roles in hit films such as “Top Gun” and “Batman Forever,” Kilmer created an everlasting Hollywood legacy for himself. Now, that legacy will continue on through the power of artificial intelligence.
Five years before his death, Kilmer was cast as Father Fintan in the movie “As Deep as the Grave.” The character is a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist, a role Kilmer deeply connected with. Unfortunately, Kilmer was battling throat cancer at the time, and was too sick to ever make it to set.
The film’s writer and director, Coerte Voorhees, now wants to bring Kilmer’s character to life, by using generative AI.
“He was the actor I wanted to play this role. It was very much designed around him,” Voorhees said.
“It drew on Kilmer’s Native American heritage and his ties to and love of the Southwest. 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’t do it.”
Voorhes is working with the cooperation of Kilmer’s estate and daughter Mercedes, according to Variety.
“His family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this,” said Voorhees.
“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, okay let’s do this. Despite the fact some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted.”
Initially, “As Deep as the Grave” was titled “Canyon of the Dead.” The movie follows a true story regarding Southwestern archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris during their excavations in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona. The purpose of this was to trace the history of the Navajo people. Abigail Lawrie, Tom Felton, Wes Studi, and Abigail Breslin will also be starring in the film.
The project will use both younger and older images of Kilmer, and the audio will use voice recordings of the actor to generate the AI model.
“The character in the film also suffers from tuberculosis,” says John Voorhees, the film’s producer and Coerte’s brother.
“Again, this historical character mirrored Val’s actual condition when he was suffering from throat cancer. And so when it comes to the voice this is a really unique opportunity for the character to reflect the condition that the actor was actually suffering from, thus creating a kind of a bridge.”
Mercedes Kilmer voiced her support of the film in a statement, saying that her dad was a “deeply spiritual man who resonated with a story of discovery and enlightenment.”
“He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling,” Mercedes Kilmer said.
“This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part.”
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
