As Deep as the Grave will see Val Kilmer return via AI

Five years before his passing in 2025, Val Kilmer was cast as Father Fintan, a complex Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist, in the film As Deep as the Grave. While throat cancer prevented Kilmer from ever reaching the set, his performance has finally been realised through advanced AI technology.

The film, originally titled Canyon of the Dead, tells the true story of archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris (played by Abigail Lawrie and Tom Felton) as they excavate Arizona’s Canyon de Chelly. Alongside a cast featuring Wes Studi and Abigail Breslin, the digital version of Kilmer plays a “significant” role. By utilising family-provided archives and footage from his final years, the production depicts Father Fintan across various stages of life, even restoring Kilmer’s voice, which had been damaged by a tracheotomy, to its former resonance.

Supporting the project, his daughter Mercedes Kilmer noted that her father was a “deeply spiritual man” who felt a profound connection to this story of Southwestern enlightenment. During the development of the voice technology used in the film, Kilmer expressed deep gratitude for the ability to regain his “creative voice.”

“As human beings, the ability to communicate is the core of our existence and the side effects from throat cancer have made it difficult for others to understand me,” Kilmer stated at the time. “The chance to narrate my story, in a voice that feels authentic and familiar, is an incredibly special gift.”

“His family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this,” says director Coerte Voorhees. “He really thought it was important story that he wanted his name on. It was that support that gave me the confidence to say, okay let’s do this. Despite the fact some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted.”