Val Kilmer resurrected in AI: trailer for As Deep as the Grave
The actor comes back to life in this film, which he had to put aside because of his health problems. Vertigo.
A year after the disappearance of Val Kilmer, a trailer rekindles a thorny debate. As Deep as the Gravea long-delayed project, reveals its first images, with the actor recreated on screen thanks to artificial intelligence….
Initially developed with Kilmer in a secondary role, the film was profoundly modified after his death in 2025. The actor was to play Father Fintan but, unable to film due to serious health problems, he was ultimately unable to participate in the project. It was considered for a time to delete his character, before the director decided to use AI.
In the trailer, Kilmer appears several times, at different ages, sometimes in almost spectral form. One scene shows him speaking to a child, in an obviously disturbing atmosphere. His face is completely recognizable, his voice reconstructed, but something seems to be missing in the look, even if it must be admitted, the result is quite stunning.
The film follows archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris, engaged in research surrounding Navajo history in the southwestern United States. The cast brings together Abigail Lawrie, Tom Felton, Wes Studi and Abigail Breslin. Production was delayed for five years, between the pandemic and Kilmer’s health.
Director Coerte Voorhees claims a choice motivated by loyalty to the initial project. The role was written for Kilmer, in line with his origins and his attachment to the American southwest. According to him, maintaining it was essential to the balance of the story. The ethical question remains: if Val Kilmer’s family has given its agreement and ensures that the actor would have been willing if we could have asked him the question, should we nevertheless bring the dead back to life? And to what extent will the public be able to identify with this digital Kilmer?
For now, As Deep as the Grave does not have a French release date.
