American actor Val Kilmer has become the latest performer to be resurrected with the help of AI in a film. The actor, who was cast in the movie As Deep as the Grave, back in 2020, passed away in 2025 due to throat cancer. He, being the perfect one for the role, now reportedly has been brought back to life onscreen using AI.
As the world walks deeper into the ever-growing technological path, it often serves as the boon that it truly is. With the help of the AI, actors have been resurrected quite effectively over the years and one such recent case is with Val Kilmer.
The actor who has been attached to the role prior to his passing, has left a significant mark on the storyline. Resurrection was the only choice in order to give the story the real push. The late actor would play the role of Father Fintan, a Native American spiritualist and Catholic priest.
Director and writer Coerte Voorhees talking about the actor during an interview said, “He was the actor I wanted to play this role. It drew on his Native American heritage and his ties to and love of the south-west.” Unfortunately due to his ongoing battle with throat cancer he couldn’t finish what he started.
The director added saying, “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 … Despite the fact some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted.”
The AI-generated version of the actor will appear in significant portions throughout the film, making it one of the most recent notable human–AI collaborations in cinema.
Other actors who have been brought back to life onscreen via CGI or AI include Carrie Fisher, Harold Ramis, Paul Walker and others.
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