Actor Val Kilmer is set to return to the screen in a new film, recreated through artificial intelligence technology.
On March 18 (local time), The Associated Press reported that Kilmer will appear via AI in the independent film “As Deep as the Grave,” due for release this year. The report said it comes a year after his death.
According to AP, the film’s producers said Kilmer had signed on before he died, but health problems prevented him from taking part. After his death, his family approved a digital replica of the actor, the producers said, and the family is being compensated for its use.
In a statement, Kilmer’s daughter said her father had long viewed new technology as a tool that could expand the possibilities of storytelling, and she expressed hope that the film would respect that potential through his role.
Kilmer had previously used AI assistance during his lifetime. Before dying of pneumonia, he was diagnosed with throat cancer and underwent a tracheotomy that left him without his voice. In his final film, “Top Gun: Maverick,” AI was used to recreate his voice.
Still, the use of AI in Hollywood has become one of the industry’s most contentious issues. One of the main drivers of the 2023 U.S. actors union strike was concern over AI, after studios proposed digitally scanning background and minor performers and reusing those images across productions.
That dispute eased after post-strike negotiations between the actors union and producers led to contract language requiring performers’ consent and appropriate compensation. The agreement, however, did not bar digital scanning itself.
The prospect of seeing a globally popular star in new work even after death is now a reality. But Kilmer’s AI-assisted return is also a reminder that audiences, like the industry, are being pressed to decide how far they are willing to accept AI-generated stand-ins for human performers.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.