First footage of the late actor in the historical drama As Deep as the Grave has been unveiled at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, raising fresh questions about the use of AI in Hollywood.
A digitally recreated version of the Top Gun, Batman Forever and The Doors star appears in the trailer for historical drama As Deep as the Grave, which was presented to cinema owners and industry figures at the annual studio showcase.
Kilmer died in April 2025 at the age of 65. His daughter Mercedes Kilmer said the cause of death was pneumonia, after years of health issues linked to throat cancer.
The film had originally cast Kilmer as Father Fintan, a priest central to the story, before his health forced him to step away from the role. Following delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, filmmakers Coerte and John Voorhees revisited the project and decided to recreate the actor digitally with the approval of his family.
According to the filmmakers, Kilmer’s children, Mercedes and Jack, gave access to archive material that allowed their father to be recreated at different stages of his life for the screen.
Speaking to AFP, director Coerte Voorhees said the family had been supportive of the plan, while producer John Voorhees described the work as a painstaking process aimed at making the performance feel true to how Kilmer might have played the role.
The project is likely to attract fresh scrutiny in an industry where artificial intelligence remains one of the most contentious issues. The use of AI was a major point of dispute during the 2023 Hollywood strikes, with actors and writers warning that the technology could be used to replicate performers without proper protections.
The filmmakers said they followed SAG-AFTRA guidance around digital replicas, including rules on consent and disclosure, and argued their approach could offer an example of how the technology might be used with the backing of a performer’s family and within union protections.
As Deep as the Grave is expected to be released later this year.
Source: AFP
