Val Kilmer digitally recreated via AI for ‘As Deep as the Grave’

The production of the historical drama ‘As Deep as the Grave’ has released seven minutes of footage featuring a digitally recreated version of the late actor Val Kilmer. Using artificial intelligence, the film depicts a younger Kilmer portraying Father Fintan, a priest in 1904 navigating the American Southwest and the Navajo Reservation.

Kilmer, who passed away in 2025, was originally cast in the film but was unable to appear on set due to illness and pandemic-related delays. The use of AI to complete his scenes was conducted with the consent and cooperation of his family estate and children. Director Coerte Voorhees stated that the process focused on ‘consent, collaboration, and compensation,’ adhering to SAG guidelines and compensating the estate.

The film follows the true story of Ann Axtell Morris, North America’s first female archaeologist, and her husband Earl H. Morris, as they explored Canyon de Chelly in the 1920s. The newly released footage shows the AI-generated character interacting with a Navajo elder, played by former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez.