Val Kilmer passed away in 2025, but audiences may not have seen the last of him on screen. First-look images have emerged from a new Western film called As Deep as the Grave, and they show Kilmer — brought back through generative AI — in what would have been one of his final roles.
The images, shared by Variety, offer a striking and emotionally complex glimpse at what AI-assisted filmmaking can do when it carries the blessing of a late actor’s family. This isn’t an unauthorized resurrection. Kilmer’s estate, including his daughter Mercedes and son Jack, approved the use of his likeness for the project.
It’s a story that sits at the crossroads of grief, technology, and the question of what we owe the dead — and the living who loved them.
How Val Kilmer Ended Up in As Deep as the Grave
The film’s director and screenwriter, Coerte Voorhees, has been open about why Kilmer was cast in the first place. According to Voorhees, Kilmer was simply the actor he wanted for the role — not a backup choice, not a tribute casting, but a genuine creative decision made because he believed Kilmer was right for the part.
Kilmer was set to play a priest named Father Fintan in the Western. But his long battle with throat cancer, which had already significantly affected his voice and health in his later years, made it impossible for him to physically shoot the film after he had landed the role.
Rather than recast, the production pursued a different path: using generative AI to portray Kilmer in the role he had already accepted. With the family’s sign-off, that vision is now moving forward.
What the Family’s Approval Actually Means
The involvement of Mercedes and Jack Kilmer in approving this project matters more than it might seem at first glance. AI recreations of deceased celebrities have become one of the more contentious issues in the entertainment industry, with critics arguing that digital likenesses can be exploited without meaningful consent.
This case is different in at least one documented way: the family said yes. That approval doesn’t resolve every ethical debate around AI and deceased performers, but it does place As Deep as the Grave in a different category than unauthorized uses of a person’s image.
Kilmer himself had a complicated and deeply personal relationship with his own voice and likeness in his final years. His 2021 documentary Val confronted his throat cancer diagnosis with remarkable candor, and he used AI voice technology in his later public appearances to communicate after the illness affected his ability to speak. In some ways, the use of AI to preserve and extend his presence on screen is consistent with how he approached his own story near the end of his life.
Key Facts About the Project at a Glance
| Detail | What We Know |
|---|---|
| Film Title | As Deep as the Grave |
| Genre | Western |
| Val Kilmer’s Role | Father Fintan, a priest |
| Director / Screenwriter | Coerte Voorhees |
| Method of Portrayal | Generative AI |
| Family Approval | Yes — Mercedes and Jack Kilmer |
| First Images Published By | Variety |
| Val Kilmer’s Year of Death | 2025 |
- Kilmer was Voorhees’s first and only choice for the Father Fintan role
- His throat cancer diagnosis prevented him from being able to shoot the film
- The production moved forward with AI rather than recasting
- Both of Kilmer’s children are on record as approving the use of his likeness
Why This Story Is Bigger Than One Film
As Deep as the Grave arrives at a moment when Hollywood is actively wrestling with what AI can and should do when it comes to deceased performers. There are no settled rules. Screen Actors Guild agreements have begun to address AI likenesses for living actors, but the legal and ethical landscape for those who have died remains far murkier.
What this project does is put a human face — literally — on an abstract debate. Kilmer wasn’t some forgotten actor whose image was quietly licensed for a streaming project. He was an icon. His performance as Doc Holliday in Tombstone is still cited as one of the great scene-stealing turns in modern Western cinema. The fact that his final screen appearance may be in a Western, brought to life through AI with his family’s blessing, carries a weight that’s hard to ignore.
For audiences, the question won’t just be whether the technology is convincing. It will be whether watching it feels right — and that’s a question each viewer will have to answer for themselves.
What Happens Next for the Film
As of the first-look images published in March 2026, As Deep as the Grave is still a developing story. A release date, distribution deal, and full cast have not yet been publicly confirmed based on available reporting. The project appears to be in active production or post-production, given that first-look imagery has now been released to press.
Director Coerte Voorhees has not yet made extensive public statements beyond confirming his creative intent and the family’s involvement. More details about the film’s scope, supporting cast, and release plans are expected to emerge as the project moves closer to completion.
What is clear is that As Deep as the Grave has already accomplished something rare: it’s made people stop and think — about Val Kilmer, about AI, about memory, and about what it means to let someone go while also holding on.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is As Deep as the Grave?
It is a new Western film that features Val Kilmer in a role brought to life using generative AI, following his death in 2025.
Who approved the use of Val Kilmer’s likeness in the film?
Kilmer’s estate and family, specifically his daughter Mercedes and his son Jack, approved the use of his likeness for the project.
What role was Val Kilmer set to play?
Kilmer was cast as Father Fintan, a priest, in the Western film directed and written by Coerte Voorhees.
Why couldn’t Val Kilmer film the role himself?
His throat cancer diagnosis prevented him from being able to physically shoot the movie after he had already been cast in the role.
Who is the director of As Deep as the Grave?
The film was directed and written by Coerte Voorhees, who has stated that Kilmer was his first choice for the Father Fintan role.
When will As Deep as the Grave be released?
A release date has not yet been confirmed based on currently available reporting — this remains a developing story.
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