AI-generated Val Kilmer movie debuts trailer, creators defend digital resurrection of late actor

The Rise of the Digital Twin: Redefining the ‘Performance’

The cinematic landscape is shifting from traditional acting to what some creators call “influenced performances.” A prime example is the upcoming indie film As Deep as the Grave, which features a generative AI version of the late Val Kilmer in the role of Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist.

This marks a significant departure from traditional casting. Writer-director Coerte Voorhees has clarified that while the technology recreates the actor’s likeness, it is not a “performance” in the classic sense, stating instead that “Val Kilmer influenced this performance.”

As AI continues to evolve, the industry is moving toward a future where a performer’s essence—their voice, likeness, and mannerisms—can be preserved and deployed long after they have left the set, or even after their passing.

The Ethical Tightrope: Consent and Compensation

The use of posthumous likenesses has become a “hot-button issue” in Hollywood. To navigate the controversy, filmmakers are increasingly relying on a framework of “consent, compensation, and collaboration.”

In the case of As Deep as the Grave, the production worked closely with Kilmer’s children, including his daughter Mercedes Kilmer, and adhered to guidelines set by the SAG-AFTRA union. The estate is being compensated and has provided archival footage to ensure the digital replica is accurate.

This trend is extending to living actors as well. Stars like Michael Caine and Matthew McConaughey have licensed their voices to AI companies such as ElevenLabs, allowing their likenesses to be used in a marketplace for advertisers.

The Role of SAG-AFTRA

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has emphasized that regulating AI is a mandatory subject of bargaining. Their philosophy suggests that AI performers should be paid on scale with human performers to ensure that hiring a human remains the “smartest financial choice.”

Beyond Resurrection: AI as a Production Tool

While “independently created digital replicas” grab the headlines, AI is being integrated into filmmaking in more subtle, technical ways. This includes “employment-based digital replicas” used to enhance a current actor’s performance or “digital alteration” to fix accents or appearance in post-production.

Recent examples include:

• Accent Enhancement: The creators of The Brutalist used AI to enhance Adrien Brody’s Hungarian accent, a move that led the Academy to consider mandatory AI disclosure for Oscar voting.
• Digital De-aging: Films like The Irishman, Gemini Man, and Captain Marvel utilized de-aging technology to alter the appearance of aging stars.
• The “Screenlife” Format: Director Timur Bekmambetov, known for Searching and War of the Worlds, is pushing for AI elements to be spread throughout all of Hollywood.

The Industry Divide: Innovation vs. Artistic Integrity

Not everyone in Hollywood views these advancements as progress. There is a growing rift between those who see AI as a tool and those who view it as a threat to the craft of acting.

On one side, creators like Timur Bekmambetov aim to ensure as many projects as possible have access to AI. On the other, directors like Rian Johnson argue that the incursion of AI into movie-making is “making everything worse in every single way.”

The tension is most evident with fully synthetic performers. The AI-generated “actress” Tilly Norwood, created by Particle6, has faced significant backlash. Actor Natasha Lyonne described such synthetic creations as a “fear tactic” and a “distraction” rather than the future of the industry.

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