Canyon of the Dead, a feature film which was marketed at the European Film Market, will have a posthumous performance from Val Kilmer completed through the use of AI. The historical drama started filming before Kilmer’s death in 2025, and he was reportedly on location for some of the production.
Val Kilmer in Tombstone – YouTube, Page Six
According to Flickering Myth, Kilmer’s family has given their blessing for the late actor’s likeness to be used in writer and director Coerte Voorhees’ film. The decision to use AI to revive Kilmer for a final performance is a distinct moment in the use of emerging technology and how it intersects with moviemaking and an actor’s legacy.
While Canyon of the Dead is set in the past, the factors of its production may have a bearing on the future.
Kilmer’s Role and AI Recreation
The Hollywood Reporter announced the movie in October 2020, and it began shooting later that month. It described Canyon of the Dead—also called Canyon Del Muerto—as a “true life historical epic” about one of America’s first female archaeologists. Abigail Lawrie plays Ann Axtell Morris, and Tom Felton plays her husband, Earl Halstead Morris, who together helped discover one of North America’s first civilizations.
Kilmer’s part is unspecified and it is unknown how heavily his character features in the story. It’s also unclear how much of Kilmer’s screen time was completed with AI. Notably, this is not the first time that AI has been used to complete one of Kilmer’s performances. Voice-AI company Sonantic was brought on to recreate his voice, which was destroyed by throat cancer, for Top Gun: Maverick.
Val Kilmer in Top Gun: Maverick – Paramount Pictures, YouTube
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In this case, AI is allowing an actor who has passed to complete a final project. The involvement of Kilmer’s family also suggests that this was done out of respect for his work, and that this is not an exploitative use of his likeness.
Historical Precedents in Posthumous Performances
Use of technology to complete films after an actor’s death is nothing new in Hollywood. One of the more famous examples was The Crow, where a body double and digital effects were used after the tragic death of star Brandon Lee. More recently, Paul Walker’s brother and deep-fake technology were used to create a send-off for his character at the end of Furious 7.
However, AI has become increasingly controversial in Hollywood and played a significant role in the last round of labor union negotiations and strikes. Filmmakers like James Cameron have called the idea of generating entirely original AI actors “horrifying.”
James Cameron in an interview with GQ – YouTube, GQ
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The way the industry and audiences react to Kilmer’s final performance being finished with AI—not body doubles or computer animation—may provide an indication of whether the new technology will find acceptance or be rejected.
Industry Reactions and Ethical Debate
Ultimately, Canyon of the Dead will succeed or fail on the strength of its storytelling, not the technology used to complete it. Still, the decision to finish Val Kilmer’s performance with AI ensures the film will be part of a much larger conversation about how—and whether—such tools should be used.
Val Kilmer as Iceman – Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers, YouTube
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An actor’s legacy has traditionally been defined by the work left behind, fixed and finite. AI challenges that finality, introducing a new reality in which a performance can extend beyond a lifetime. Whether that possibility is viewed as tribute or overreach may shape not only how Kilmer’s last role is remembered, but how Hollywood defines artistic legacy in the years ahead.
What do you think about AI being used to complete Val Kilmer’s performance? Let us know in the comments!
