Val Kilmer Died Before Filming a Single Scene, So AI Allowed Him to Become the Star of a New Movie

Months before Val Kilmer passed away in 2025, director Coerte Voorhees was staring at a call sheet with Kilmer's name on it, knowing the actor he built an entire role around would never make it to set. Kilmer was cast as Father Fintan — a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist — in the indie film As Deep as the Grave, but his battle with throat cancer made filming impossible. Rather than recast the role, Voorhees turned to generative AI to bring his original vision to life.

Director Coerte Voorhees Said the Role Was 'Very Much Designed' Around Val Kilmer

"He was the actor I wanted to play this role," Voorhees said. "It was very much designed around him."

The decision wasn't taken lightly. The filmmakers used both younger images of Kilmer — many provided directly by his family — and footage from his final years to portray the character at different stages of his life. His voice, damaged in his later years by a tracheal procedure related to his cancer treatment, is also recreated through AI.

Mercedes Kilmer said her father was "a deeply spiritual man" who connected deeply with the story's themes of discovery set in the American Southwest, where he made his home in New Mexico. She noted that he "always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling."

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After a long and devastating battle with throat cancer and deteriorating health, Val Kilmer has passed away at the age of 65. Kilmer was known for his role as Iceman in the 1986 hit movie Top Gun and despite his permanently damaged voice, he made a brief return to the screen in 2022's Top Gun: Maverick. The screen icon was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and underwent surgery, including a tracheotomy which significantly impacted his ability to speak. He was later declared cancer free. His daughter Mercedes Kilmer, whom he shared with ex-wife Joanne Whalley, revealed his death on Tuesday. #valkilmer #topgun #maverick #actor #rip #sad #movie

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It isn't the first time Kilmer embraced AI to reclaim his voice. Ahead of Top Gun: Maverick in 2022, he partnered with AI company Sonantic to recreate his speaking voice for the film — calling it "an incredibly special gift" that allowed him to communicate authentically again.

The production followed SAG guidelines and compensated Kilmer's estate for his appearance. As Deep as the Grave also stars Tom Felton, Abigail Lawrie, Wes Studi, and Abigail Breslin.