Top Gun star Val Kilmer returns on screen via AI after his death to appear in new film

A year after his death, Batman and Top Gun star Val Kilmer is set to return to the big screen through artificial intelligence, marking a notable moment in the use of AI in cinema. According to a report by AFP, a generative AI version of the actor will co-star in the upcoming independent film As Deep as the Grave, the announcement for which was made by First Line Films.

Producers said Kilmer had originally signed on to the project before his death but was unable to film due to declining health. His estate has granted permission for the use of his digital likeness and is being compensated, as per the report.

Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, said her father had always been open to technological innovation in storytelling.


“He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism. This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film,” she said in a statement.

Kilmer died last April at the age of 65. He had lost his natural speaking voice following a battle with throat cancer in 2014. In Top Gun: Maverick, his voice was digitally reconstructed for his appearance.


The film, previously titled Canyon of the Dead, is based on the real-life story of archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris and their work uncovering Native American history in Arizona. The AI-generated Kilmer will play Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and spiritualist.

He will appear alongside Tom Felton, Abigail Breslin and Wes Studi.

AI use in Hollywood sparks debate

The use of “digital twins” remains a debated issue in Hollywood. The actors’ union SAG-AFTRA has raised concerns about AI-generated performers created entirely from scratch but allows the use of real actors’ likeness under strict conditions.

According to union guidelines, permission must be obtained from the actor’s estate or the union if the performer is deceased.

Writer-director Coerte Voorhees and producer John Voorhees said all guidelines were followed.

“We believe we are serving as a demonstrator for how to do it ethically and correctly, especially in the case of working with a deceased actor’s estate and family,” they said.

“It was very unfortunate that his health at the time prevented him from playing this role which spoke to him spiritually and culturally. We are honored to collaborate with his daughter Mercedes, who brings her own filmmaking experience, to bring this character to life in the way that we had all originally imagined it,” Voorhees added.