featuring @cinemacon @valkilmerofficial
The filmmakers of “As Deep as the Grave” have released the trailer for their upcoming historical drama, offering a first look at the innovative AI technology used to bring Val Kilmer’s performance back to the screen.
Kilmer, who passed away in 2025 after a battle with throat cancer, was cast as Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist. However, due to his illness, he was unable to film his scenes. With the support of Kilmer’s estate and his daughter Mercedes, the production team employed generative AI to include the actor in the final cut of the film. Kilmer makes several appearances in the trailer, which was first unveiled on Wednesday at CinemaCon, the major trade show for the film industry taking place this week in Las Vegas. The footage depicts Kilmer at different ages — at one point, as a ghostly, spectral figure; at another, as a handsome, 30-something clergyman. In one scene, Kilmer kneels to speak directly to a child, saying, “Don’t fear the dead and don’t fear me,” gazing into her eyes.
Coerte Voorhees, the film’s writer and director, along with producer John Voorhees, emphasize that they have approached the use of AI ethically, working closely with Kilmer’s family throughout the process. They highlight that the film, which chronicles the story of Ann Axtell Morris, one of the United States’ pioneering female archaeologists, and her excavation of Canyon De Chelly in Arizona, held special significance for Kilmer.
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