AI-generated Val Kilmer to star in new film a year after actor's death – in an industry first
The Top Gun star will play a priest in the upcoming film As Deep as the Grave
Val Kilmer is set to appear posthumously in a new action-adventure film, a year after his death from pneumonia – in what First Line Films has labelled the first-ever performance enabled by generative artificial intelligence.
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The Top Gun star was originally cast in As Deep As The Grave five years ago by writer-director Coerte Voorhees, who built the role specifically for him.
However, Kilmer’s health struggles with throat cancer prevented him from ever making it to set.
Kilmer died in April 2025 aged 65 from pneumonia, following a long battle with throat cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2014.
Thanks to generative AI, the beloved actor will appear in a significant role throughout the film, with Voorhees working closely with Kilmer’s family to ensure the portrayal was handled respectfully.
Read more: Legendary Hollywood star and martial arts master Chuck Norris dies aged 86
Kilmer, who previously claimed Cherokee ancestry and was a vocal supporter of Native American rights, will play Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist Father Fintan.
The production company said in a press release: "At the time that he was cast, Kilmer expressed that the character of Fintan spoke to him both culturally and spiritually."
The film follows southwestern archaeologists Ann Morris – played by actress Abigail Lawrie, and Harry Potter star Tom Felton – and focuses on their excavations in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona.
First Line Films has not revealed what technology it used for the performance, but described it as "state-of-the-art generative AI technology".
In 2021, Kilmer used the AI voice platform Sonantic to develop an AI-generated version of his voice, which was permanently damaged after undergoing a tracheostomy.
It used old audio Kilmer provided, and was later used in the Top Gun sequel, in which Kilmer reprised his famous Iceman role.
As Deep as the Grave, which is expected to be released later this year, uses Kilmer's voice from after his tracheostomy.
California-born Kilmer, who was one of the best-paid actors in the 1990s, is best-known for his role as Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky in Top Gun alongside Tom Cruise in 1986.
He also played Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever and received rave reviews for his performance as rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie The Doors.
Last year, the launch of the first fully AI-generated actor, Tilly Norwood, caused uproar in the industry – which continues to grapple with AI threatening the roles of its workforce.
In the UK, members of actors’ union Equity voted overwhelmingly against on-set digital scanning as they sought stronger AI protections.