Val Kilmer to be featured in new movie via generative AI
Val Kilmer to be featured in new movie via generative AI
Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYWed, March 18, 2026 at 6:32 PM UTC
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Almost a year after his death, Val Kilmer's likeness is set to appear in a new movie, though the late actor never spent a second on the set.
In an interview published on Wednesday, March 18, writer and director Coerte Voorhees told Variety that generative AI was used to put Kilmer in the upcoming movie "As Deep as the Grave." The "Top Gun" star had been cast in the film before he died, but he was unable to shoot any scenes due to his health.
Kilmer's family is supportive of the movie and provided the production with younger images of him to use, according to Variety, which notes the estate was also compensated.
"His family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this," Voorhees told the outlet. "He really thought it was 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 some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted."
Val Kilmer speaks onstage at the "Twixt" press conference during the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 12, 2011, in Toronto.
Voorhees also explained that Kilmer's role of a Catholic priest named Father Fintan was "designed around" the actor and draws on his "Native American heritage and his ties to and love of the Southwest."
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In a statement to Variety, the star's daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, said her dad "always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling," adding that "this spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part."
The production also shared an image with Variety showing the AI-generated Kilmer in the movie.
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Kilmer died in April 2025 from pneumonia at age 65. The actor was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, and he permanently lost his voice after undergoing a tracheotomy.
In 2021, Kilmer announced that he had partnered with the software company Sonantic to create a model of his voice by feeding audio of himself into an artificial intelligence algorithm, according to IndieWire. The actor said at the time he was "grateful to the entire team at Sonantic who masterfully restored my voice in a way I've never imagined possible."
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Kilmer continued working up until his death, making his final movie appearance opposite Tom Cruise in "Top Gun: Maverick." The 2022 blockbuster worked around the loss of Kilmer's voice by having his character, Iceman, communicate by typing on a computer, though he also briefly speaks.
Val Kilmer attends the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 12, 2012.
"Top Gun: Maverick" director Joseph Kosinski told USA TODAY in 2022 that artificial intelligence was not used to restore Kilmer's voice. "I've never used that technology and we didn't use that A.I. technology in 'Top Gun,'" he explained. "[Kilmer's] voice was digitally altered and blended a little bit just for clarity."
"As Deep as the Grave" centers on a pair of Southwestern archaeologists and also stars Abigail Lawrie, Tom Felton and Abigail Breslin.
Contributing: Bryan Alexander
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Val Kilmer to star in new movie using generative AI
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
