Director Coerte Voorhees says he is using AI to feature Val Kilmer in “a significant part” in an indie film, with the cooperation of the late actor's estate

Variety 2026-03-19 Brent Lang

Context & Ripple Effects

Film AI coverage has moved from altering performances—such as AI de-aging used on established actors—to reproducing aspects of an actor’s presence. It has also been used to extend performances across languages through AI-assisted dubbing, making this a further step in the range of performance uses.

The distinguishing fact here is the reported cooperation of Kilmer’s estate. That places approval and rights management, rather than the technical demo alone, at the center of whether a synthetic performance can be used in a released film.

First-order effects

Voorhees’ indie film can build a significant Kilmer role using AI with the estate’s cooperation, allowing the production to incorporate the late actor without a conventional new performance.
Kilmer’s estate becomes the immediate gatekeeper and commercial counterpart for the use, with its cooperation supplying the project’s stated authorization basis.

Second-order effects

Other filmmakers and estates gain a clearer practical reference point: projects involving deceased performers may increasingly depend on negotiated estate participation alongside VFX and AI capability.
Production vendors working on synthetic performance work will face more demand for workflows that combine likeness, voice, and archival-performance handling, not just de-aging or localization.

Third-order effects

If estate-approved uses become repeatable, performer likenesses may be managed more like licensable screen assets, shifting bargaining power toward rights holders and the contracts that define permitted reuse.
The industry’s AI debate is likely to move beyond cost-saving production tools—an issue raised in James Cameron’s cautious view of generative AI in filmmaking—toward durable standards for consent, attribution, compensation, and creative control over synthetic performances.

The trend: This is one data point in film AI’s shift from post-production assistance to rights-cleared commercialization of performers’ digital identities.

Discussion

Page Six Connor Surmonte on x
Val Kilmer resurrected by AI one year after his death for ‘As Deep as the Grave’ movie role
@rachelleishman Rachel Leishman on x
I get his daughter said it was fine but I still hate this. Also let's do some math because Val Kilmer died last year. It's 2026.
@katienotopoulos Katie Notopoulos on x
Val would've loved this. He spent the last 1/3 of his life obsessed with Mark Twain, a man who absolutely loved exploiting new technology to make a buck even at the expense of his own legacy https://variety.com/...
@thecinesthetic @thecinesthetic on x
An AI version of Val Kilmer appears in the new film As Deep as the Grave. Kilmer was originally cast in 2015, but was unable to film due to his battle with throat cancer. The role has now been completed using AI, with the approval of his daughter. [image]
@zsharf Zack Sharf on x
Val Kilmer is starring in a new movie via AI. His daughter Mercedes defends the decision: “He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling. This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film,
@caseynewton Casey Newton on bluesky
I try not to hate things in advance but I'm making an exception for this one [embedded post]
@radiodeadair.com Nash on bluesky
“No no his surviving family is fine with it.” — Interesting just out of curiosity though who gets the payment on the likeness rights because y'know he's dead and they're not.
@joshsternberg.com Josh Sternberg on bluesky
GenAI Val Kilmer coming to theaters, with the blessing and support of his family. (Kilmer died in 2025.) — variety.com/2026/film/ne...
@shineyezehuhh Isaiah D. Colbert on bluesky
The way I forgot he died and mourned his passing just to read the rest of the headline and get mad in the span of a second. variety.com/2026/film/ne...
r/blankies r on reddit
This is fucking disgusting.
r/weeklyplanetpodcast r on reddit
Val Kilmer is back baby!
r/boxoffice r on reddit
An AI version of Val Kilmer stars in the new “movie” ‘As Deep as the Grave.’ Kilmer was cast in the movie in 2015, five years before his death. …
r/MUAEntertainment r on reddit
Val Kilmer Resurrected by AI to Star in ‘As Deep as the Grave’ Movie — First Look
r/TheBigPicture r on reddit
Val Kilmer Resurrected by AI to Star in ‘As Deep as the Grave’ Movie
r/popculturechat r on reddit
Val Kilmer Resurrected by AI to Star in ‘As Deep as the Grave’ Movie
r/entertainment r on reddit
Val Kilmer Resurrected by AI to Star in ‘As Deep as the Grave’ Movie — First Look (EXCLUSIVE)
r/movies r on reddit
Val Kilmer Resurrected by AI to Star in ‘As Deep as the Grave’ Movie
r/Cinema r on reddit
Val Kilmer Resurrected by AI to Star in ‘As Deep as the Grave’ Movie — First Look (EXCLUSIVE)
r/BoJackHorseman r on reddit
Val Kilmer Resurrected by AI to Star in ‘As Deep as the Grave’ Movie

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