Val Kilmer to appear posthumously through AI in film

Actor Val Kilmer will posthumously appear in what a production company says is a first-ever performance enabled by generative artificial intelligence for an upcoming film.

Kilmer, best known for roles in Top Gun, The Doors and Batman Forever, had originally been cast as Father Fintan - a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist in the film As Deep as the Grave. 

However, he was unable to work on set due to complications stemming from throat cancer, and was 65 when he died in April last year.

Working closely with Kilmer’s estate and his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer,  the filmmakers say the decision to use AI technology was made with the intention of honouring the actor’s deep personal connection to the role.

“At the time that he was cast, Kilmer expressed that the character of Fintan spoke to him both culturally and spiritually,” First Line Films said in a news release, citing his Native American heritage and longtime love of the American Southwest.

Written and directed by Coerte Voorhees, As Deep as the Grave follows southwestern archaeologists Ann Morris, played by Tin Star actor Abigail Lawrie, and Earl Morris, portrayed by Harry Potter star Tom Felton.

The film centers on their excavations in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, while also exploring the history and lived experiences of the Navajo people.

First Line Films, which is based in New Mexico, said it would employ state-of-the-art generative AI technology to recreate Kilmer’s performance for the film, allowing him to embody what the company described as a “historically significant” character.

A California-born, Juilliard-trained actor, Kilmer built a career marked by intense performances and an often-mythologised reputation as a Hollywood bad boy.

His filmography includes Tombstone, in which he delivered a memorable turn as Doc Holliday, as well as blockbuster and biographical roles that cemented his status as one of the most distinctive actors of his generation.