Val Kilmer resurrected with AI for new film, fans react with outrage
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Fans are reacting strongly to the news of Val Kilmer’s return to the screen without ever setting foot on set.
An artificial intelligence-based version of the actor, who died last year, will star in the new independent film “As Deep as the Grave” – Kilmer played the role of Father Fintan before his death but was unable to film due to his battle with throat cancer – and for many, this announcement is not good news.
“He was the actor I wanted to play this role,” writer-director Coerte Voorhees told Variety this week. “It was really designed around him. It built on his Native American heritage and his connections and his 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 medical time, and he couldn’t do it.”
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An AI likeness of Val Kilmer will appear in an upcoming film. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Many fans had negative reactions to the news.
“Did he say he was cool with this kind of thing before he died? If not, it’s probably a disgusting thing to do,” one person wrote about
A third commenter wrote: “In Hollywood when you die they resurrect you with AI and force you to keep working. »
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“I don’t care how much permission they had to do this, no one should be allowed to do this,” said a fourth. “It should be illegal to resurrect the faces of people who died with genAI, in my opinion.”
Someone else wrote: “No amount of moral dressing will change how sick and greedy this is. The family should be ashamed.”
“It’s hard,” another person posted. “If Val wanted this and wanted to go with ‘one last hurrah’, maybe that’s acceptable. (When Oliver Reed died during Gladiator, they used a body double + light CGI to finish his scenes) But, when that becomes the norm…”
Some Kilmer fans were upset with the idea of the film, while others were more supportive. (AP Images)
Still, some fans supported the idea.
“I was about to break down about this, but apparently he and his daughter were close. It would be nice to see someone you lost on the big screen again, although I wonder if it will look like the real Kilmer,” one person wrote.
“People will disagree, but as long as he wants it himself and his own family gives the green light, everyone should shut up,” said another.
Voorhees said the AI version of Kilmer’s character was made with the support of his estate and family, who were compensated.
“Her family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of it,” Voorhees explained. “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, OK, let’s do it. Even though some people might call it controversial, that’s what Val wanted.”
The AI version of Kilmer was created using footage of the actor when he was younger, films of him in his later years and his voice.
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Kilmer’s son and daughter Jack and Mercedes are seen at the Cannes Film Festival. (Lionel Hahn/Getty Images)
Kilmer will appear in a “significant portion” of the film, which also stars Abigail Lawrie, Tom Felton, Wes Studi and Abigail Breslin.
“It was very unfortunate that his health at the time prevented him from playing this role that spoke to him spiritually and culturally,” Voorhees said, according to the Associated Press. “We are honored to collaborate with his daughter Mercedes, who brings her own cinematic experience, to bring this character to life as we all originally imagined.”
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On the film’s IMDb page, Kilmer’s role is assigned to a “digital performer”, specifying that it is an “AI performance as Val Kilmer”.
“As Deep as the Tomb” is based on a true story about two archaeologists’ excavations in the Canyon of the Dead in Arizona.
An image of Val Kilmer is seen during the “In Memoriam” tribute at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards on March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Voorhees said that at one point scenes involving Kilmer’s character were cut for budgetary reasons, but they later realized that Father Fintan was a “major missing element”.
“Normally we just recast an actor,” he said. “I’m all about working with our actors, and we have brilliant performances throughout this film. But we can’t keep the camera rolling anymore. We don’t have the budget. We’re not a big film studio. So we had to think of innovative ways to do it. And we realized the technology was there for us.”
Despite the controversies surrounding the use of AI in films, Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, said she believes her father would have supported him in this case.
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“He always viewed emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling,” she said in a statement. “That spirit is something that we all honor in this specific film, of which it was an integral part.”
Voorhees emphasized that he also follows SAG-AFTRA regulations for the use of AI in film.
Kilmer died of pneumonia in April 2025. (Marc Mainz)
“Consent not obtained before death must be obtained from an authorized representative or the union,” the regulations state.
Voorhees and his brother, producer John Voorhees, told the Associated Press: “We believe we serve as a demonstrator on how to do this ethically and correctly, particularly in the case of working with the estate and family of a deceased actor.”
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Kilmer’s voice was also digitally altered for his role in 2022’s “Top Gun: Maverick” following his tracheostomies.
Kilmer died at the age of 65 last April from pneumonia following his battle with cancer.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
