“Fear not the dead and fear not me”: AI brings a digital Val Kilmer back to the screen

Actor Val Kilmer appears in new film As deep as the grave through a performance generated by the AI created after his death
Technology allows filmmakers to fill roles using digital likenesses
Val Kilmer’s family gave permission to use AI-produced likeness

Val Kilmer died in 2025, but you wouldn’t necessarily know that from the trailer for the upcoming film As deep as the grave — and this, although he was shot after his death.

The trailer for the indie drama was revealed Wednesday (April 15) at CinemaCon and features an AI-generated Kilmer as Father Fintan, a priest whose character bridges Catholic tradition and Native American spirituality.

“Fear not the dead, and fear not me,” ersatz Kilmer proclaims in the trailer. It’s so striking that it’s impossible the filmmakers didn’t deliberately design it to reference the situation behind the camera.

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As Deep as the Grave – CinemaCon 2026 Exclusive Clip and Teaser – YouTube

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Virtual Kilmer

The film centers on archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris, whose work in the American Southwest during the 1920s uncovered remains linked to ancestral Puebloans. Kilmer was said to have been interested in the blend of historical narrative and spiritual nuances before his passing.

At the time, his health prevented him from fully engaging in production; her battle with throat cancer had already limited her ability to speak and play. That didn’t stop producers from writing the character with him in mind, and after his death, director Coerte Voorhees decided not to simply recast or rewrite him.

With the support of Kilmer’s estate and his daughter, Mercedes, production moved forward using a digital version of an imagined Kilmer performance.

This decision places As deep as the grave in a growing category of films that use AI for performances; science fiction short filmEcho Hunter is another recent example. Here, Kilmer’s character is deeply integrated into the story, making his presence central rather than symbolic.

Actor Illusion

To make AI Kilmer, the producers used existing footage of the actor as a visual basis, allowing the artists to reconstruct facial movements and expressions. AI audio models trained on past recordings of the actor recreated the cadence and tone of Kilmer’s voice.

After further layering and enhancement, the virtual performance was integrated into the film as cohesively as possible. The goal is not to replicate a single past performance but to create something that is consistent with the actor’s established style.

There is a certain continuity in this approach. During his life, Kilmer had already explored AI-assisted voice technology to help restore his speech after cancer affected his vocal cords. The tools used in the film extend this work into a new context.

The filmmakers emphasized that the process was conducted with the approval and participation of Kilmer’s family. This detail is important in an industry where the use of digital likenesses has become a subject of intense debate. Consent and control are essential to how these projects are received, both by the public and other stakeholders.

Strange acting

Kilmer is both recognizable and slightly disorienting to watch in the trailer. The face is familiar, and it sounds and moves like it, but even if you didn’t know it was an AI, you’d probably notice the slight disconnect between the avatar’s behavior and Kilmer’s actual performance.

The release of the trailer has already sparked discussions in the industry. Organizations such as SAG-AFTRA have expressed concerns about how AI-created digital likenesses are deployed. Some filmmakers and studios say the technology offers new ways to preserve performance and complete projects that would otherwise go unfinished.

It’s far too early to tell which approach will prevail, but either way, it’s a step into uncertain territory, where the boundaries of authorship and presence become less clear.

AI is changing the way performance can be preserved, for better and for worse. As AI continues to reshape what’s possible on screen, audiences are being asked to embrace new types of performances. We may not need to fear AI Kilmer, but we definitely need to take the plans of its creators seriously.

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