Val Kilmer, the talented actor who passed away last year at 65, is making a comeback in the new film “deep as a grave” thanks to artificial intelligence.
Kilmer was set to play Father Fintan in the movie, previously titled canyon of the dead. Unfortunately, he was unable to shoot due to his battle with throat cancer, which had taken a toll on his health five years before his death.
“He was the actor I envisioned for this role,” said Corte Voorhees, writer and director of deep as a grave, adding that the film was essentially crafted around Kilmer.
Now, Voorhees is collaborating with Kilmer’s estate to integrate an AI version of him into the film as an important character, although he had never filmed any scenes during his lifetime.
Both Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes, and son, Jack, have shown their support for this project.
“His family emphasized the significance of this movie and how much Val wished to be involved,” Voorhees shared. “He genuinely believed in the story and wanted his name attached to it.”
The director also expressed that the support from Kilmer’s family gave her the assurance to proceed, even though “some might find it controversial,” adding, “This is what Val wanted.”
The film is set to feature both younger images of Kilmer—many contributed by his family—and recent footage showcasing his character across different life stages.
The project faced a six-year delay due to its independent nature and interruptions from the pandemic in 2020.
“Typically, we would just recast,” Voorhees explained. “I prefer to work with the actors who breathe life into this piece.”
“But it’s not feasible to turn the camera back on,” he noted. “We don’t have the budget of a major studio. So we had to explore creative solutions, and the technology is now available to do just that.”
The filmmakers recognize that using AI to bring Kilmer back may attract some backlash. However, they aim to demonstrate how AI can be ethically employed in storytelling, according to reports from deep as a grave.
Before his passing, Kilmer was celebrated for iconic roles like in top gun and as Jim Morrison. He had worked with AI voice technology from Sonantik to recreate his speaking voice for his return as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in the 2022 sequel top gun: maverick.
