Nearly a year after his death, Val Kilmer will star in a new film, As Deep as the Grave, from director Coerte Voorhees, who will use AI technology to create his performance.
Kilmer will play Catholic priest Father Fintan in the film and was originally cast to play the role back in November 2020 when the film was titled Canyon Del Muerto. The movie aims to tell the story of archaeologist Ann Axtell Morris, who documented the Ancestral Puebloans in the American Southwest.
Voorhees explained that Kilmer was the man he wanted for the role, “He was the actor I wanted to play this role. It was very much designed around him. It drew on his Native American heritage and his ties to and love of the Southwest. I was looking at a call sheet the other day, and we had him ready to shoot. He was just going through a really, really tough time medically, and he couldn’t do it.”
Given that Kilmer was unable to shoot and he has since passed away, Voorhees and his production team will use generative AI technology to create his performance with the approval of his family
Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes, told Variety, “He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling. This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part.”
To that point, Kilmer used AI technology to reprise his role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Top Gun: Maverick and allow him to speak.
With the family’s support, Voorhees elaborated on why he decided to recreate Kilmer with AI for the film, “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.”
Fandom Pulse is reader-supported independent journalism. Paid subscribers get exclusive scoops and investigative reporting daily.
Step into the dying deserts of Barsoom like never before. In Guns of Mars by Chuck Dixon, a thousand years after John Carter’s legendary arrival, a hard-bitten survivor named Kal fights for his life across a savage, crumbling Mars, where honor clashes with betrayal, ancient weapons meet desperate grit, and every step could be your last.
If you crave classic Edgar Rice Burroughs adventure with a raw, unflinching edge straight from the master of action comics, this pulse-pounding tale is your next must-read. Grab your copy today and ride the red sands!
NEXT: Damon Lindelof Responds To Grant Morrison’s Criticism Of His Upcoming ‘Lanterns’ Show