AI actors have been a contentious topic essentially ever since it became a possibility but will now be used to finally bring to life an actor cast in a film before his untimely death prevented him starring in it.
Val Kilmer will be ‘resurrected’ using AI to star in a film he was cast in back in 2015, a full decade before his death in April of last year.
The Top Gun star was ultimately too ill to ever star in the movie however due to his battle with throat cancer.
The film in question is called As Deep as the Grave and was to see him play a ‘Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist.
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Director Coerte Voorhees explained to Variety that Kilmer ‘was the actor he wanted to play this role’, adding: “It was very much designed around him… He was just going through a really, really tough time medically, and he couldn’t do it.”
Kilmer never shot a scene but is being recreated using state of the art AI
Kilmer’s recreation in the film is supported by his family, including his daughter Mercedes who released a statement backing the film.
They are able to create the imagery using younger pictures of Kilmer, many of which were shared by his family, as well as footage from his later years.
The character in the film suffers from tuberculosis, something which the Top Gun man himself faced due to his battle with throat cancer.
John Voorhees, the film’s producer and director’s brother, told Variety: “This historical character mirrored Val’s actual condition when he was suffering from throat cancer.
“When it comes to the voice this is a really unique opportunity for the character to reflect the condition that the actor was actually suffering from, thus creating a kind of a bridge.”
Kilmer’s family are supportive of the move, as they were the use of AI to recreate his voice in Top Gun: Maverick
Merces Kilmer released a statement supporting the film, stating that her father was a ‘deeply spiritual man’ who connected with the material, adding: “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 honouring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part.”
Kilmer had, prior to his death, used AI to recreate his voice in Top Gun: Maverick when he returned to the role of Iceman. Kilmer had lost his voice in 2015 due to a tracheotomy performed after he contracted throat cancer in 2014.
The actor himself had said he’d become ‘emotional’ hearing his own voice again in the film, saying at the time: “I’m grateful to the entire team at Sonantic who masterfully restored my voice in a way I’ve never imagined possible. As human beings, the ability to communicate is the core of our existence and the effects from throat cancer have made it difficult for others to understand me. The chance to tell my story, in a voice that feels authentic and familiar, is an incredibly special gift."
Despite the family’s support the film is facing a major backlash on social media
The announcement that Kilmer would be resurrected via AI for the movie has led to considerable backlash on social media.
The most popular reply on X to the news simply says: “You are free to create what you want and we are free to avoid it like the plague. In the rudest way possible, no thank you.”
Another viral post from a fan said they ‘actually feel sick’ at the news, whilst a third post said: “‘Val really wanted to be a part of this’ well he can’t. He’s dead. It’s a tragedy but the man is no longer alive anymore and having a computer reanimate his corpse for a paying audience is wrong.”
Voorhees appeared to expect this backlash, saying that he ‘wanted to be in the film’ and adding: “He really thought it was important story that he wanted his name on. It was that support that gave me the confidence to say, okay let’s do this. Despite the fact some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted.”
Topics: Val Kilmer, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Film, Top Gun, TV and Film, Celebrity
Michael Slavin