Val Kilmer is returning to the big screen nearly a year after his death, with the late actor set to star in an upcoming indie film that uses generative AI to recreate his image, likeness and voice.
Kilmer, who died in April 2025 after being diagnosed with pneumonia, had been cast As deep as the grave before his passing, but was never able to film his scenes due to illness.
Writer and director Coerte Voorhees has now revealed that instead of recasting the role, the production used advanced artificial intelligence technology to bring Kilmer’s performance to life, with the full blessing of his estate and family.
“He was the actor I wanted to play this role,” Voorhees shared Black.
“It was very much designed around him. It drew on his Native American heritage and his ties to and love of the Southwest.”
Kilmer had been cast to play Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist, a role the director said uniquely suited him.
With filming completed and no budget for reshoots, recasting was simply not an option.
“Usually we would just recast an actor,” Voorhees explained. “But we can’t roll camera again. We don’t have the budget… So we had to think of innovative ways to do it. And we realized that the technology is there for us.”
The production secured permission from Kilmer’s estate and compensated it in accordance with SAG guidelines.
Voorhees realized that his family’s support was what ultimately gave him the confidence to continue.
“His family kept saying how important they thought the film was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this,” he said.
“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 that some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted.”
Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes, 34, echoed that sentiment, describing her father as “a deeply spiritual man” who connected deeply with the film’s themes of discovery and enlightenment set against the American Southwest.
“He always looked at new technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling,” she said Black.
“That spirit is something that we all pay homage to in this specific film that he was an integral part of.”
As deep as the grave also starring Abigail Lawrie, Tom Felton, Wes Studi and Abigail Breslin.
