US EditionAI-Rendered Val Kilmer Debuts in 'As Deep as the Grave' Trailer
The filmmakers used generative AI with his estate’s approval, and the trailer shows Kilmer on screen for 1 hour and 17 minutes, producers said.
- On Wednesday at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, filmmakers debuted a trailer for 'As Deep as the Grave' featuring an AI-generated performance by the late Val Kilmer portraying Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist.
- Writer-Director Coerte Voorhees cast Kilmer years ago for the role, but the actor's health prevented him from filming before he died in 2025 at age 65 following a battle with throat cancer.
- With support from Mercedes Kilmer, the actor's daughter, the production team utilized generative AI while adhering to Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists guidelines and compensating Kilmer's estate.
- Producer John Voorhees emphasized the project followed protocols of "consent, compensation and collaboration," yet the use of AI to recreate posthumous digital likenesses remains controversial in Hollywood amid industry-wide concerns.
- The historical drama centers on archaeologists Ann Axtell Morris and Earl Morris and their 1920s excavation of the Canyon De Chelly in Arizona; filmmakers plan to release it sometime this year.
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Val Kilmer resurrected via AI in controversial new movie trailer
EXCLUSIVE: The filmmakers behind the controversial new film, As Deep As The Grave, which resurrects the late Val Kilmer via AI, share how they brought the Hollywood star back to the big screen beyond the grave.
Actor Val Kilmer's career did not end with the star's death.
Val Kilmer AI deepfake in 'As Deep as the Grave' trailer sparks outrage
Val Kilmer AI deepfake film As Deep as the Grave has just released its first trailer. The internet has responded with overwhelming disgust.A widely recognised actor known for his roles in films such as Top Gun, Batman Forever, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Kilmer died from pneumonia last April at 65 years old. Upcoming film As Deep as the Grave has now used generative AI to create a digital puppet in Kilmer's likeness, having it portray a character a…
The actor returns to life in ‘As deep as the grave’, which has shown his first breakthrough in CinemaCon
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Val Kilmer returns via AI as filmmakers test Hollywood's red line
The first images of late American film star Val Kilmer returning to the big screen courtesy of artificial intelligence were unveiled Wednesday in Las Vegas, in what will likely stir debate over the technology's role in Hollywood.
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