Artificial Intelligence

AI Resurrects Val Kilmer for Film Role in 'As Deep as the Grave'

Is using AI to bring Val Kilmer back to the screen a fitting tribute to his legacy or a dangerous precedent for Hollywood?

Published 2 hours ago

AI Resurrects Val Kilmer for Film Role in 'As Deep as the Grave'

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Above: Actor Val Kilmer poses at the "Felon" photo call at the Regency Hotel in New York City on July 8, 2008. Image credit: Rob Loud/Getty Images

The Spin

Techno-optimist narrative

Using AI to bring Val Kilmer to the screen in "As Deep as the Grave" is a genuinely ethical use of the technology — the estate approved it, SAG guidelines were followed and Kilmer's estate was compensated. Kilmer himself embraced AI to restore his voice for "Top Gun: Maverick," proving this aligns with his own values. Honoring a role he deeply wanted fulfills his artistic legacy rather than exploiting it.

Variety Entertainment Weekly

Techno-skeptic narrative

Putting words and movements into a dead man's body via AI isn't filmmaking — it's digital necromancy, and a family's blessing still doesn't make it right. Val Kilmer never filmed a single scene — so this is simply a soulless, generated fiction. AI is already gutting human labor in Hollywood, and normalizing this sets a precedent that erases the irreplaceable craft of living actors.

Michael J. Knowles on Youtube

The Content Report, By Vince Mancini on Substack

Cynical narrative

Of course, this is framed as "legacy" and "art," but let's not pretend the incentives aren't obvious. A recognizable name like Kilmer, his kids and estate signing off, and a film that suddenly becomes more marketable. Call it a tribute if you want — but it reads more like using AI to monetize a brand than to honor a person.

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