Late Val Kilmer Returns to Screen via AI: Digital Version Gets Full Movie Role
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21.08.2026 09:30
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2 min read
An extended seven-minute clip from the historical drama As Deep as the Grave has surfaced online, featuring a key performance by Val Kilmer, who passed away in 2025. Unlike typical short digital cameos, generative AI fully recreated the actor’s appearance and voice, making him a full-fledged participant in the scenes.
Kilmer was personally cast by director Koerte Voorhees as the Catholic priest and spiritual mentor Father Fintan while he was still alive. However, due to a severe illness, the actor never managed to film any scenes. Following his death, the creators decided against a recast, opting instead to generate his likeness entirely using AI.
De-aged Likeness and Archival Audio
According to Entertainment Weekly and The Guardian, the digital Kilmer appears in roughly one-third of the nearly three-hour film.
To train the neural networks, the creators utilized a vast array of archival photos, videos, and audio recordings, including rare voice samples from before the actor’s tracheotomy. On screen, Kilmer appears in a de-aged form, styled to match his look from the 1990s.
Family Consent and SAG-AFTRA Compliance
The use of the digital double was fully approved by the actor’s heirs. Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, and his son, Jack, supported the project and provided the production team with additional family archives. Contract terms and posthumous compensation were negotiated in strict accordance with new SAG-AFTRA guidelines governing the use of generative AI in Hollywood.
The film’s plot (previously developed under the title Canyon Del Muerto) is based on real events from the 1920s and follows archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris as they explore Indigenous settlements in the American Southwest. The film also stars Tom Felton, Abigail Lawrie, Wes Studi, and Abigail Breslin.
The trailer for AS DEEP AS THE GRAVE, starring an AI version of the late Val Kilmer, has been released
— CoveredGeekly (@CoveredGeekly) April 15, 2026
Cast includes Abigail Lawrie, Tom Felton, Abigail Breslin, Tatanka Means, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Wes Studi and Finn Jones pic.twitter.com/JtTbXY50O6
An official theatrical release date for As Deep as the Grave has not yet been announced.
