Val Kilmer set to be be resurrected with AI for new film

Val Kilmer, who died last year at 65 from throat cancer, will appear posthumously in a new film using artificial intelligence to resurrect his performance. The Top Gun star had been attached to play Father Fintan, a Native American spiritualist and Catholic priest, in the drama "As Deep As the Grave" before his death prevented him from reaching the set.

Director Coerte Voorhees is collaborating with Kilmer's estate and his children to bring the actor back through generative AI, using images from throughout his life to recreate him across different decades. "His family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this," Voorhees told Variety.

The film tells the true story of archaeologists who worked with the Navajo people in the 1920s to uncover ancient civilizations. Voorhees says the role was specifically designed around Kilmer, who advocated for Native American rights and claimed Cherokee heritage.

Kilmer's AI-generated performance will appear in a "significant" portion of the film, marking another step in Hollywood's growing embrace of artificial intelligence technology for creative purposes.