Rabat – The late Val Kilmer is returning to the screen, this time through artificial intelligence.

The first trailer for “As Deep as the Grave,” unveiled at CinemaCon, reveals a digitally reconstructed performance by the actor, who passed away in 2025.

Kilmer appears in the film as Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and spiritual guide with ties to Native American culture. 

Due to declining health prior to his death, he was unable to film his role. Instead, the production turned to generative AI to build his performance, using archival material and digital modeling developed in close collaboration with his family. 

The process was carried out with full approval from his estate, including his daughter.

According to director Quentin Voorhees and producer John Voorhees, the decision to use AI was not taken lightly. 

They describe it as a creative necessity rather than a substitute for actors, emphasizing that the project followed the official framework set by SAG-AFTRA, including compensation for Kilmer’s estate.

On screen, Kilmer is presented across multiple timelines, appearing at times as a spectral, almost ghost-like figure, and at others as a younger version of himself in his thirties. 

This shifting presence adds a layered, spiritual dimension to the film. In one of the trailer’s most striking moments, his character tells a young girl, “Do not fear the dead, and do not fear me,” a line that encapsulates the film’s haunting tone.

Beyond the technology, “As Deep as the Grave” tells the story of pioneering archaeologist Ann Axtell Morris, one of the first women to lead excavations in the United States. 

Set in the dramatic landscapes of Canyon de Chelly in Arizona, the film blends historical storytelling with expansive visuals, from cliffside digs to sweeping desert scenes and high-intensity action sequences.

With Kilmer’s role reportedly extending well beyond a brief appearance, the film positions him as a central presence rather than a symbolic one. 

As debates around AI and performance continue to intensify, “As Deep as the Grave” arrives not just as a film, but as a defining moment in how cinema chooses to remember, and recreate, its icons.