The advent of artificial intelligence is already changing the way that major motion pictures are made and marketed. But the still-evolving possibilities of AI-assisted performances — or AI-generated actors — could have a major impact on the awards circuit as well as voters and moviegoers alike wrestle with both the potential, and the problems, of blending technology with art.
One early test case for how far might be too far for the Academy’s voting body is As Deep as the Grave, a new Western from sibling filmmakers Coerte and John Voorhees. When the duo started production on the film in 2020, they were excited to cast Val Kilmer as Father Fintan, a real-life Catholic priest who served at the San Juan Mission in Farmington, N.M., in the early 20th century. But five weeks into shooting, Kilmer’s health — the Top Gun star was in the midst of a prolonged battle with throat cancer — forced him to bow out and the production shut down.
Prior to his death in 2025, though, Kilmer spoke with his children, Jack and Mercedes Kilmer, about using generative AI technologies to allow for posthumous appearances in films. With the family’s permission, Kilmer re-joined the As Deep as the Grave cast and enters the history books as one of the first actors to have a prominent role in a feature film after his passing courtesy of AI.
The Voorhees brothers screened the first trailer for the film at CinemaCon, and revealed that their star is in the movie for roughly 77 minutes of screentime. As of now, the film doesn’t have a distributor, but the filmmakers said that interest in the movie has been high since the first image was revealed last month and they hope have a finished cut that can play in theaters by the year’s end.
After the presentation, Gold Derby spoke exclusively with the filmmakers and asked if they planned to mount a Best Actor campaign for Kilmer, who was never nominated for an Oscar during a lifetime filled with celebrated performances in films like The Doors and Tombstone. “I think the character will speak for itself,” Coerte Voorhees, the credited director on the film, remarked diplomatically. “The approach is always telling the best story and featuring him in the most spectacular way we can. We’ll let it speak for itself and let the audience decide.
“We’re taking so much care and attention to making this a great performance that could be an awards-worthy performance,” adds As Deep as the Grave producer, John Voorhees. The brothers also suggested that the Academy might want to consider adopting AI guidelines in the same way that SAG-AFTRA — which signed off on Kilmer’s appearance in the film after the filmmakers demonstrated they had me the stated requirements — already has.
“We’re thankful to SAG for sanctioning how we went about this process, and we take it very seriously,” remarked Coerte Voorhees. “Everyone should absolutely adopt guidelines and adjust however they see appropriate.”
Here’s everything you need to know about As Deep as the Grave as it seeks distribution.
What’s the story?
Inspired by the lives of renowned archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris, As Deep as the Grave is based on their explorations of in Canyon De Chelly, Ariz., an area that holds a special place in the history of the Navajo people. After the couple becomes fascinating with a lost city that, legend has it, existed in the Chuska mountains, they turn to Father Fintan to aid in their seemingly quixotic search. During the presentation, the Voorhees siblings said that the story “resonated” with Kilmer, who had a longtime fascination with the American Southwest and the indigenous communities that populated it. “He really wanted to play this role and wanted to do something based in New Mexico,” the director recalled.
Who else is in it?
Besides Kilmer, the film’s cast includes BAFTA winner Abigail Lawrie as Ann and Harry Potter franchise star Tom Felton as her husband, Earl. Pioneering Native American actor and honorary Oscar recipient, Wes Studi, is also in the ensemble as, alongside Best Supporting Actress nominee Abigail Breslin. Hanako Footman, Ewen Bremner, Tatanka Means, Finn Jones, and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd round out the supporting cast.
What have Kilmer’s children said about the film?
The Voorhees siblings emphasized throughout the presentation that Jack and Mercedes Kilmer are full participants in the process of crafting their father’s AI-generated performance. “My father was a deeply spiritual man and this story of discovery and enlightenment in the American Southwest and his unique role in it really resonated with him,” Mercedes Kilmer said in a statement previously provided to Gold Derby. “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.”
What are its Oscar chances?
It’s highly unlikely that we’re at a point where Oscar voters are ready to seriously consider an AI-generated performance for a top acting prize — something that the Voorhees siblings tacitly acknowledged to us. But As Deep as the Grave could potentially position itself as a Best Visual Effects candidate for the work that went into Kilmer’s performance. “It’s truly unbelievable where we are with technology and what you can showcase,” notes Coerte Voorhees. “This is just the next advancement. We’re so proud of the teaser and all the work that we’re doing.”
