Val Kilmer’s First AI Look For As Deep As The Grave Revealed After His Death; See

Five years before his passing in 2025, Val Kilmer had been cast in the film As Deep as the Grave, where he was set to portray Father Fintan—a complex character depicted as both a Catholic priest and a Native American spiritualist. However, at the time, Kilmer was battling throat cancer, a condition that had significantly affected his health and limited his ability to work. As a result, despite being attached to the project, he was ultimately unable to make it to the set or bring the role to life during filming.

According to Variety, film's director and writer Coerte Voorhees said, "He was the actor I wanted to play this role. It was very much designed around him. It drew on his Native American heritage and his ties to and 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 time medically, and he couldn’t do it."

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Despite not filming any scenes, Val Kilmer has been included in the project through advanced generative AI, allowing director Michael Voorhees to fulfill his vision. The effort has been carried out with the support of Kilmer’s estate and his children, Mercedes Kilmer and Jack Kilmer. Coerte Voorhees said, "His family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this. He really thought it was important story that he wanted his name on. It was that support that gave me the confidence to say, okay let’s do this. Despite the fact some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted."

As Deep as the Grave is an upcoming American historical action-adventure film written and directed by Coerte Voorhees. The film features a diverse ensemble cast including Abigail Lawrie, Tom Felton, and Abigail Breslin, alongside Tatanka Means, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Wes Studi and Finn Jones. Notably, the film also incorporates the likeness of late actor Val Kilmer, adding a unique dimension to the project.

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Val Kilmer passed away in his sleep at his Los Angeles home on April 1, 2025, at the age of 65. Filming for the project took place in Arizona, and by March 2026, the film had been officially retitled As Deep as the Grave. To bring Kilmer’s role to completion, director Coerte Voorhees used advanced artificial intelligence technology, a decision made with the cooperation of the actor’s estate and the support of his children.