- Val Kilmer, best known for his roles in Top Gun, Tombstone, and Batman Forever, died of pneumonia last April at age 65 after a long battle with throat cancer
- Less than a year after his passing, the beloved actor is set to appear posthumously in the upcoming film As Deep as the Grave, with his family’s full support
- The decision to use AI to recreate Kilmer’s likeness has sparked significant debate among fans, with some finding it respectful and others calling it unsettling or inappropriate
Hollywood just broke the internet. Less than a year after losing one of the most magnetic actors of his generation, the world is being asked a question nobody was quite ready for: Is it okay to bring someone back from the dead using artificial intelligence?
Val Kilmer is set to appear posthumously in a new action-adventure film, As Deep as the Grave, in what First Line Films has labelled the first-ever performance enabled by generative artificial intelligence. And people have a lot of feelings about it.
The Role That Was Always His
This story actually starts five years ago, long before Kilmer passed away.
Writer and director Coerte Voorhees cast Kilmer as Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist, in As Deep as the Grave. But Kilmer, who was battling throat cancer, was too sick to ever make it to set.
The role wasn’t just any part. The director built it specifically around Kilmer, drawing on his Native American heritage and his deep ties to the American Southwest. They had him on the call sheet. They had him ready to go. And then his health made it impossible.
Voorhees said that at one point, scenes involving Kilmer’s character were cut for budget reasons, but they later realised Father Fintan was a “major missing element.” Recasting was never really on the table. The role was too personal, too specific. So they found another way.
What AI Actually Did Here
The project uses both younger images of Kilmer, many of them provided by his family, and footage from his final years to show his character in various stages of his life. It goes even deeper than that.
The audio uses Kilmer’s voice from after his tracheostomy. And the character in the film also suffers from tuberculosis, meaning the historical figure mirrored the actor’s own condition during his battle with throat cancer, creating what the producers described as a kind of bridge between the performance and the man.
This wasn’t a cash grab. The production relied on SAG guidelines and compensated Kilmer’s estate for his appearance. The family wasn’t just consulted. They were central to the whole thing.
His Family Said Yes. And Here’s Why That Matters.
Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes confirmed the family’s support, describing her father as “a deeply spiritual man” whose role in the film as a Native American spiritualist truly resonated with who he was.
Mercedes Kilmer added that her father always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling, and that this spirit is something the film is honouring.
Director Voorhees put it plainly. “His family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this. 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. Even though some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted.”
The Internet Is Completely Split
Unsurprisingly, not everyone is at peace with it.
Some fans responded with anger and skepticism, with one comment stating it should be illegal to resurrect the likeness of dead people with AI. Others pushed back on that reaction just as hard.
“People are going to disagree, but as long as he himself wanted it and his own family gave the green light, everyone else should shut up,” one supporter wrote.
On Reddit, one critic wrote, “I love Val Kilmer, and his cancer took away a really interesting and dynamic actor. If his family agreed to this, then I’m not sure I should speak against it. But honestly, it feels icky and ghoulish.”
That’s probably the most honest take anyone has offered. Because the truth is, there is no clean answer here. This is brand new territory. And Val Kilmer, who let AI recreate his voice for Top Gun: Maverick back in 2022, was already walking this road before most people even started asking the questions.
As Deep as the Grave is expected to be released in 2026. Whether it changes the conversation around AI in Hollywood, or just adds fuel to a fire that’s already burning, one thing is certain: everyone is going to have an opinion.
