NEW MEXICO — Val Kilmer's likeness will appear posthumously in the upcoming film As Deep as the Grave, where he stars as Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist. The actor died of pneumonia in April 2025 at age 65.

The film, previously titled Canyon of the Dead, features Kilmer alongside Abigail Lawrie, Tom Felton and Abigail Breslin. Director Coerte Voorhees said "It was very unfortunate that his health at the time prevented him from playing this role which spoke to him spiritually and culturally."

Voorhees addressed the use of Kilmer's digital likeness in the production. "Despite the fact some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted," he said.

Mercedes Kilmer supported the project, describing her father's approach to new technology. "He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling. This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part," she said.

For As Deep as the Grave, the director used Kilmer's post-tracheostomy voice to match the character's tuberculosis. The character Father Fintan in the film suffers from tuberculosis.

Kilmer was known for his roles in Top Gun, Tombstone and Batman Forever. In 2021, Val Kilmer used the AI voice platform Sonantic to develop an AI-generated version of his voice using archival audio following throat cancer treatment. That AI-generated voice was used in Top Gun: Maverick, in which Kilmer reprised his role as Iceman.

Kilmer said "The chance to narrate my story, in a voice that feels authentic and familiar, is an incredibly special gift."

The film is based on the true story of early 20th-century archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris, who helped excavate and document evidence of the Ancestral Puebloans in the American Southwest. As Deep as the Grave has been in post-production for three years and is expected to be released in 2026.

The use of AI-generated performances comes as actors have been negotiating to retain control of their digital likenesses in the entertainment industry. In 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation to provide AI protections for actors. California Assembly Bill 1836 protects digital likenesses under performers' posthumous right of publicity.