A year after his passing, Hollywood legend Val Kilmer is returning to the big screen via AI technology – marking a major milestone for AI in cinema. According to a report by AFP, a generative AI version of the actor will co-star in the upcoming independent film, “As Deep as the Grave”. The announcement was made by First Line Films.
According to the producers, Kilmer had originally signed on to the project before his death but was unable to film his scenes due to his declining health. Moreover, the report said that Kilmer’s estate has officially granted permission for his digital replication and is being compensated for the role.
Val Kilmer’s voice was digitally constructed in his last film
As per his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, her father was always a fan of using new tech to tell better stories.
“He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism. This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film,” she said in a statement.
Kilmer passed away last April at age 65. He had previously lost his natural speaking voice following a battle with throat cancer in 2014. He appeared in the 2022 blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick wherein his voice was also digitally reconstructed for his emotional appearance.
Val Kilmer’s role and the film’s story
The film, originally titled Canyon of the Dead, is based on the true story of archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris and their work uncovering Native American history in Arizona. The AI-generated Kilmer will play Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and spiritualist. He will “join” Tom Felton (Harry Potter), Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) and Wes Studi.
the use of “digital twins” remains a hot issue in Hollywood. While the actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, has criticized “AI-only” actors created from scratch, it does have specific rules for using the likeness of real performers.
According to union guidelines, if an actor has passed away, producers must get permission from the actor’s estate or the union itself.
In an email, writer-director Coerte Voorhees and producer John Voorhees said SAG guidelines were followed.
“We believe we are serving as a demonstrator for how to do it ethically and correctly, especially in the case of working with a deceased actor’s estate and family,” they said.
“It was very unfortunate that his health at the time prevented him from playing this role which spoke to him spiritually and culturally. We are honored to collaborate with his daughter Mercedes, who brings her own filmmaking experience, to bring this character to life in the way that we had all originally imagined it,” Voorhees added.
