Mercedes Kilmer has defended the decision to use AI to recreate her late father, Val Kilmer, in the indie film As Deep as the Grave, saying the technology allowed him to help establish how performers can retain control over their digital likeness.
Kilmer, who died last year after a long battle with throat cancer, had been cast as Father Finton — a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist — in the historical drama. However, his illness made it impossible for him to film his part.
With the help of his estate and Mercedes, the filmmakers used generative AI to feature him in the project. As per director Coerte Voorhees, the character appears on screen for more than an hour.
Speaking on the Today Show, Mercedes said, “It started off as a way to overcome the limitations of his illness, but then it evolved into something that he really was like, ‘Oh, wait. I have a chance to actually set a precedent,’” she said.
She also addressed the mixed reactions to the use of AI in recreating her father on screen. “It's kind of fallen into two camps. People that maybe have a more precarious position in the industry and are worried and see AI as a threat — which is absolutely valid — and younger people, younger actors and musicians,” she added.
Mercedes, who is also a musician, said she understands those concerns but believes engaging with the technology is the better path forward. “We have to contend with this technology one way or the other. And avoiding it, it's not necessarily the way. It's much easier to structure the rights if you proactively license something,” she said.
This isn’t the first time Kilmer has been featured in a film with the help of AI. After getting diagnosed with cancer in 2014, he worked with UK-based company Sonantic to recreate his voice, which was later used when he returned as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Top Gun: Maverick.
As Deep as the Grave tells the story of pioneering archaeologist Ann Axtell Morris and her work at Canyon de Chelly. The trailer was recently unveiled at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. The film shows Kilmer at different stages of life, including as a ghost-like presence and as a younger man.