Val Kilmer, who passed away on April 1, 2025, at age 65 from pneumonia following years of battling throat cancer diagnosed in 2014, will appear posthumously in the independent film As Deep as the Grave thanks to generative artificial intelligence. The production, initially known as Canyon of the Dead, was announced by First Line Films on March 18, 2026.
Directed by Coerte Voorhees, the film features Kilmer in the role of Father Fintan, a Catholic priest with a deep spiritual dimension tied to Native American culture. Kilmer was originally cast in the project years earlier—reports indicate as far back as 2015—and preparations were underway for his scenes when health complications from his tracheotomy and ongoing medical challenges prevented filming.
The recreation uses generative AI trained on images of Kilmer from various stages of his life, many supplied by his family, combined with a voice model derived from his real recordings, including those affected by his tracheotomy-damaged vocal cords. The AI-generated performance is set to appear in a “significant” portion of the film. Director Coerte Voorhees stated: “He was the actor I wanted for this role,” adding that they were ready to shoot Kilmer’s part but he was going through a very difficult medical moment.
Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, supported the decision, saying: “My father always looked at emerging technologies with optimism, as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling. This spirit is what we honor within this film.”
The approach contrasts with broader Hollywood debates on AI potentially replacing living actors, including SAG-AFTRA concerns over fully AI-generated performers (such as the condemned case of Tilly Norwood) and the need for regulation in independent productions. While some view it as a way to preserve an actor’s legacy and complete unfinished work, others raise questions about authenticity of performance, posthumous control over an actor’s image, and the risk of normalizing such practices without ethical oversight.
No specific release date has been announced for As Deep as the Grave.
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