The newly released trailer for Val Kilmer’s AI deepfake film, “As Deep as the Grave,” has been met with significant backlash online. Kilmer, a legendary actor known for roles in “Top Gun,” “Batman Forever,” and “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” passed away last April from pneumonia at 65. The film employs generative AI to simulate Kilmer’s likeness, casting him in a major historical role posthumously.
“As Deep as the Grave” chronicles the adventures of married archaeologists Ann Axtell Morris (Abigail Lawrie) and Earl H. Morris (Tom Felton), who worked in the U.S. southwest in the 1920s. Kilmer’s AI likeness portrays Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist. The film also stars Abigail Breslin, Wes Studi, and Finn Jones.
Despite being cast prior to his death, health issues and production delays prevented Kilmer from filming any scenes. He previously delivered a tech-assisted performance in “Top Gun: Maverick,” using digital voice alterations, and worked with Sonantic to clone his voice using AI. However, “As Deep as the Grave” marks his first entirely AI-generated film appearance.
A comment on the trailer highlights public sentiment: “Very fitting that this trailer includes a scene where a corpse is unceremoniously yanked out of the ground.”
The use of CGI likenesses for deceased actors isn’t new. “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” resurrected Peter Cushing and a young Carrie Fisher through CGI and motion capture. Similarly, “Furious 7” used technology to complete Paul Walker’s scenes posthumously, which was more accepted than the ethical debate stirred by “Rogue One.” However, “As Deep as the Grave” pushes boundaries by fully creating a performance without any actual actor input.
Coerte Voorhees, the writer and director, explained to Variety that AI was used due to budget issues, and Kilmer’s children supported the project. Nonetheless, many have criticized the film as distasteful and see it as a harmful precedent for the film industry, beyond merely digitally reanimating Kilmer.