Entertainment

Val Kilmer AI Movie First Footage Revealed from ‘As Deep as the Grave’

Published

1 hour ago

August 19, 2026

“As Deep as the Grave,” a historical drama that has generated headlines for featuring a performance from an AI version of the late Val Kilmer, has released nearly seven minutes of footage highlighting what the controversial technology has created.

In an IndieWire-exclusive clip, the AI-generated Kilmer’s character, Father Fintan, searches the Navajo Reservation with his “guide” (Jonathan Nez, former president of the Navajo Nation) for the origin of bad spirits poisoning the land. The scenes take place in the early 20th century, as Father Fintan tries to raise money to build a new church by collecting artifacts.

Kilmer, who died in 2025 after battling throat cancer, had originally been cast in “As Deep as the Grave” and was excited to appear in the film because it was set in the American Southwest, where he made his home in New Mexico. COVID delays and Kilmer’s illness prevented him from ever appearing on set. However, Kilmer’s family, including his children Mercedes and Jack, approved using AI to create a digital version of their father for the film. The production relied on SAG guidelines and compensated Kilmer’s estate for his appearance.

INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, (aka INSIDIOUS 6), Amelia Eve, 2026. ph: Sarah Enticknap / © Sony Pictures Releasing / courtesy Everett Collection

“We hope that we’re helping to lay the groundwork for how to do this properly,” said Coerte Voorhees, the film’s writer and director. “This process is about consent, collaboration, and compensation.”

The generated Kilmer we see on screen resembles the actor at the height of his 1990s fame. Voorhees said he studied Kilmer’s work in films like “Heat,” “Batman Forever,” and “Tombstone” to craft the performance.

“We are trying to be the best students of Val to construct this art creation of Val,” he said. “I have literally watched ‘Heat’ 10 times. There was a moment going through the footage where I saw Val walking and it was just like Doc Holliday.”

John Voorhees, the indie film’s producer and Coerte’s brother, argued the work with AI “makes the performance as true as possible to what Val wanted for this character, and that gets down to the way he grins, the way he has a very narrow stare, all of the things that make him such a powerful cinematic presence. My brother actually spends tons of time making sure that the digital performance is accurate right down to the mole on the left side of Val’s jawbone.”

'As Deep as the Grave' — ‘As Deep as the Grave’FirstLine Films

Coerte Voorhees selected the scenes because they highlight the younger version of Father Fintan and because of their dramatic arc. “In the seven-minute sweep, you see that he’s wrestling with two identities — he’s a Catholic priest, but he has Cherokee heritage,” Coerte Voorhees said. “He’s conflicted.”

The AI-generated Kilmer will appear in “the ballpark” of an hour and 17 minutes of a film that currently clocks in at over three hours. The project uses both younger images of Kilmer, many of them provided from his personal archive by his family, and footage from his final years to show his character over several decades. The audio also utilizes recordings of Kilmer’s voice, which, in his later life, was damaged by a tracheal procedure. “As Deep as the Grave” combines the AI elements with filmed sequences involving a cast that includes Abigail Lawrie, Tom Felton, Wes Studi, and Abigail Breslin.

After premiering a trailer for the film last spring at CinemaCon, Coerte Voorhees said he’s spent most of the summer working on the Kilmer scenes. “It’s been about fleshing out the character and his backstory,” he said. “It’s a lot of work. Right up until the release of this clip, there was a version where Val looked slightly older in some shots and slightly younger in others, so you just have to go through and really make it consistent. Every beat counts.”

Despite its groundbreaking use of AI, “As Deep as the Grave” is a low-budget endeavor. But the technology is relatively affordable — John Voorhees pegs the cost in “the thousands.” “It’s remarkably inexpensive, and that’s helpful because we’re independent filmmakers,” Coerte Voorhees said. “We’re not on some huge studio budget.”

The brothers say that they’ve had a lot of interest from buyers and have ideas about what might make a good home for the film. “We’ve had meetings with the streamers, and they’re learning from us about how we’re doing this because we’re still the only film that has an A-list celebrity who’s given his consent to be an AI character,” John Voorhes said. “Nobody’s done AI characters on screen in this way, so this is something that’s still new for them. We would like ultimately to find a home with a streamer that wants to use this film as an example of a well-done generative AI performance combined with actual in-camera footage.”

And the brothers think that the estates of other celebrities might benefit from these types of productions. “We do love people from the past, and we want to stay connected to them,” said John Voorhees. “But it has to be done with consent and compensation. It has to be done right.”

Watch the exclusive clip below.

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Anna Camp, Jasmine Cephas Jones To Lead ‘2:22 — A Ghost Story’ (Exclu)

Published

2 minutes ago

August 19, 2026

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EXCLUSIVE: Anna Camp (True Blood, Pitch Perfect), Jasmine Cephas Jones (Hamilton, Blindspotting), Finn Jones (Marvel’s Iron Fist, Game of Thrones) and Martin Marquez (Billy Elliot The Musical, Hotel Babylon) are set to lead the cast of Olivier-nominated 2:22 — A Ghost Story in its New York premiere.

Produced by Tony and Olivier Award-winning Runaway Entertainment (Girl From The North Country, The Hunger Games: On Stage), previews begin Tuesday, October 20 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Opening is Thursday, November 5 for a strictly limited engagement of 13 weeks only, through Sunday, January 17, 2027.

Camp will play Lauren, Cephas Jones will portray Jenny, Jones is Sam and Marquez will play Ben.

“I am so incredibly thrilled to return to taking on the complex and wonderfully written character of Lauren in the hauntingly beautiful play, 2:22, said Camp in a statement to Deadline. “Getting the chance to revisit this story and to discover so many new things with such a talented cast at the iconic Lucille Lortel theatre this fall is such an honor. I’m beyond excited to dive back in to this world in particular and to return to the New York stage, and to my first love, the theatre.”

Following its premiere in London’s West End in 2021, 2:22 — A Ghost Story heads to off-Broadway following seven West End engagements, two record-breaking UK tours, and more than 30 productions worldwide.

Written by Danny Robbins (The Battersea Poltergeist podcast), in 2:22 — A Ghost Story, Jenny (Cephas Jones) believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam (Jones) isn’t having any of it. When their friends Lauren (Camp) and Ben (Marquez) come around for a housewarming dinner, a stirring debate ensues – can the dead really walk again? Belief and skepticism clash, but lingering beneath the argument is something strange and frightening…and that something is getting closer. So they’re going to stay up… until 2:22… and dare to discover the truth.

During its first West End engagement at the Noël Coward Theatre, the production broke all box office records for a new play at the venue. Starring Lily Allen, Julia Chan, Hadley Fraser and Jake Wood, the production received an Olivier Award nomination and won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Play. The production subsequently transferred to the Gielgud Theatre, Criterion Theatre, Lyric Theatre, and Apollo Theatre, and featured actors including Tom Felton, Sophia Bush, Cheryl, Matt Willis, Stephanie Beatriz, Mandip Gill, Laura Whitmore and Stacey Dooley.

Matthew Dunster (Hangmen, The Hunger Games: On Stage) and Gabriel Vega Weissman (Guards at the Taj) direct.

Set design is by Anna Fleischle (Hangmen; Home, I’m Darling), costume design by Cindy Lin (Winter Wonderland, Dismantle This Room), lighting design by Lucy Carter (Home, I’m Darling; The Almighty Sometimes), sound design by Ian Dickinson for Autograph Sound (Company, Hangmen), and illusions by Chris Fisher (Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Harry Potter & The Cursed Child). Casting is by Caparelliotis Casting (David Caparelliotis & Joe Gery), and Wagner Johnson Productions will serve as General Manager.

2:22 – A Ghost Story is produced by Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Isobel David and Kater Gordon, by Special Arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Theatre.

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Liev Schreiber Set for Lakes Noir Film Festival Tribute

Published

8 minutes ago

August 19, 2026

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Liev Schreiber will receive the Global Noir Icon Award as an actor and activist at a closing ceremony for the Lakes Noir International Film Festival.

The Sept. 27 gala in Luino, Italy, will also honor BlueCheck Ukraine, a humanitarian organization Schreiber co-founded, and give the Global Noir Visionary Award to Ukrainians in Exile director Janek Ambros.

In addition, the late Hayden Panettiere, who supported BlueCheck Ukraine, will receive a moment of silence at the festival’s Grand Finale Gala ceremony. Lakes Noir will screen the 2024 documentary Ukrainians in Exile, directed by Ambros and executive produced by Schreiber. Panettiere passed away on Aug. 17 at age 36. The circumstances of her death are currently under investigation.

Filmed on the Ukrainian border just weeks into the 2022 conflict, the film is executive produced by Oscar-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan) and has served as a fundraising vehicle for BlueCheck Ukraine.

Panettiere will be honored at the Lakes Noir gala for her support of Ukraine, which stemmed in part from a nine-year relationship with Wladimir Klitschko, brother to Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko, with whom she had a daughter, Kaya.

In March 2022, Panettiere founded the charity Hoplon International to offer direct relief and life-saving body armor and medical kits to front-line Ukrainian soldiers. BlueCheck Ukraine was also launched in March 2022 to provide emergency support to populations in Ukraine impacted by the ongoing war with Russia.

The Lakes Noir Film Festival spotlights the “noir” aesthetic, including stylized crime dramas to dark and sobering documentaries.

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Untitled Promotions: Six Upped To Partner (EXCLUSIVE)

Published

15 minutes ago

August 19, 2026

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EXCLUSIVE: Untitled has promoted six to partner: Annie Schmidt, Ashley Josephson, Faisal Kanaan, Harry Lengsfield, Sam Warren, and Scott Metzger.

This group of managers marks Untitled’s first new partner class since becoming part of Initial Group two years ago.

The Untitled Partners said, “Two years into this next chapter for Untitled, we’re excited by what we’re able to accomplish and the opportunities created by bringing our teams under one banner. Annie, Ashley, Faisal, Harry, Sam, and Scott have each played an important role in that progress, not only through the work they do for their clients, but in how they show up for their colleagues and contribute to our culture. They are trusted leaders, generous collaborators, and people we are proud to call partners. They’ve already helped make Untitled what it is today, and we’re excited to have their voices and leadership play an even greater role in what we’re building.”

With Untitled for 12 years, Schmidt has worked across the company’s New York and Los Angeles offices, taking on increasing leadership and strategic responsibility within the talent department, while mentoring the next generation of managers. Prior to Untitled, she spent nearly a decade in PR. She began that journey in 2007, working at ID PR in Los Angeles under mentor BeBe Lerner, before relocating to help grow the firm’s New York presence. A NorCal native, Schmidt got her start interning for producer Michael London during the production of Fox Searchlight’s Sideways before joining Sidney Kimmel Entertainment at its inception in 2004.

Josephson joined Untitled last year after 10 years at Mosaic. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she attended the University of Michigan before moving to New York to begin her career at the William Morris Agency. She quickly rose from assistant to talent agent before continuing at UTA, and then transitioning into management, where she’s continued working to champion women and amplify the voices of historically underrepresented talent.

A former football player at Bentley University who began his career as a Literary Agent Trainee at Paradigm, Kanaan joined Grandview in 2017 as an assistant to co-founder Jeff Silver, rising through the ranks before becoming a manager in 2019. He founded the company’s Manager Trainee Program, and when Grandview became part of Untitled, he continued at the company as a lit manager, further building his roster and taking on a larger role within the department.

A New York native who reps writers and directors working across film, television, and theater, Lengsfield began his career in the mailroom at WME, quickly moving onto a desk in the talent department before transitioning to MP Lit. He moved into management at LBI Entertainment in 2014, and in 2022, joined Grandview, continuing on at Untitled beginning in 2024.

A Los Angeles native and graduate of the University of Miami who reps creator and filmmaker talent across film and television, Warren also joined Grandview in 2022 before becoming part of Untitled. He began his career as an assistant at LBI in 2011 and elevated to manager there.

Based in Untitled’s New York office, Metzger brings decades of experience as a talent rep. He began his career in representation as an assistant at Paradigm, working his way up to become a managing partner and co-head of talent before joining CAA’s Motion Picture Talent Department. He transitioned to management at Untitled in 2024.

Untitled marked the foundational acquisition for Initial Group, the TPG-backed global entertainment company established in 2024. Grandview joined the platform in October 2024, with both companies now operating under the Untitled banner. Initial has since expanded with the acquisition of Silver Tribe Media — now Initial Digital — a strategic investment in music management company Good World Management, and the acquisition of Brookside Artist Management, whose Emily Gerson Saines joined Untitled as a partner.