Val Kilmer is making an unexpected comeback. The actor, who died in 2025 after years with throat cancer, will be starring in a new film with the help of AI, sparking a strong reaction from all corners of the web.
Kilmer is starring in the film “As Deep as the Grave,” directed and written by Coerte Vorhees. In an interview with Variety, Vorhees revealed that the film was written around Kilmer, incorporating elements of his life and story.
“He was the actor I wanted to play this role,” he said. “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.”
Vorhees revealed that he acquired the performance from Kilmer with AI. He received the cooperation of Kilmer’s state and the blessing from his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer.
© Getty Images“His family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this,” he said. “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.”
To obtain the performance he wanted, Vorhees had access to photos of Kilmer over the years, with many of them provided by his family. He also had footage from the last years of Kilmer’s life and his voice, which was damaged at the time of his death due to a tracheostomy.
The controversy in AI and the entertainment industry
© Getty ImagesAI is one of the most controversial technologies, affecting all industries, including entertainment. Parts of the creative community are wary of the rise of AI, believing that it could result in the loss of jobs and the reduction of opportunities that are already limited for actors, writers, and all sorts of creative workers.
Vorhees hopes this case is considered an “ethical” use of the technology, especially since it was made with the approval of Kilmer and his family.
“He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling,” said Mercedes Kilmer.
© WireImageRead the full article here
