How is Val Kilmer used via AI?

AI-assisted Val Kilmer integration hits indie film

Director Coerte Voorhees says he is using AI to feature Val Kilmer in a “significant part” of an indie film. He also says the project is being done with the cooperation of Kilmer’s estate, following the estate’s involvement in enabling the use of Kilmer’s likeness.

The key detail is that the approach is not just a random recreation: Voorhees frames it as estate-supported, which is likely meant to reduce legal and rights-friction that often surrounds deepfakes and synthetic performances. If the estate has agreed to the use of Kilmer’s image and/or voice assets, the production may be able to move forward without having to negotiate from scratch for every element of the synthetic portrayal.

For audiences, this is another example of how AI is moving from effects and background enhancements into more direct, actor-like roles. It also raises practical questions that Hollywood is now grappling with: what “cooperation” looks like in real production workflows (for example, what kinds of source material are allowed) and how performers’ rights are handled after death.

For creators and studios, the estate’s role underscores a market reality: AI likeness work may increasingly hinge on rights-holder partnerships rather than purely technical capability. That, in turn, could shape how quickly indie projects adopt synthetic-performance techniques if they can secure permissions early.

Overall, Voorhees’ comments suggest Kilmer’s estate is treating AI performance as something it can actively license, not simply contest.