By Catherine Shoard
Publication Date: 2026-04-16 13:42:00
A trailer has been released for the first film to feature an authorized generative AI version of a major Hollywood actor.
Val Kilmer was cast in the Western As Deep As the Grave before his death in April 2025. Production delays meant he didn’t film any scenes, but the creative team worked with British company Sonantic to create an AI speaking voice based on his old recordings.
His estate and his daughter Mercedes collaborated with the filmmakers on the actor’s visual deepfake. Kilmer, who was diagnosed with throat cancer, was also aided by technology in his cameo appearance in 2022’s “Top Gun: Maverick.”
In As Deep As the Grave, Kilmer plays Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist, and the trailer – which debuted at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Wednesday – shows that his role is extensive and spans multiple time periods.
Writer-director Coerte Voorhees confirmed that Kilmer appears in the film for about an hour. The trailer shows Fintan as…
