Val Kilmer was chosen to play Father Fintan, a Native American religious figure and Catholic priest, in “As Deep as the Grave,” five years before he died in 2025. Kilmer, however, was too ill ever to make it to the set since he was fighting throat cancer.
Coerte Voorhees, the filmmaker and writer of the film, says, “He was the actor I wanted to play this role. It was very much designed around him. It drew on his Native American heritage and his ties to and love of the Southwest. I was looking at a call sheet the other day, and we had him ready to shoot. He was just going through a really, really tough time medically, and he couldn’t do it.”
Voorhees used cutting-edge generative AI to accomplish his goal of having Kilmer in a group, even though he failed to film one scene. Additionally, the late actor’s property and his daughter Mercedes have assisted him. “His family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this,” adds Coerte Voorhees. “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.”
Previously named “Canyon of the Dead,” “As Deep as the Grave” tells the true narrative of Southwestern historians Ann and Earl Morris as they document their digs in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, in an attempt to learn more about the Navajo people’s past.
Wes Studi and Abigail Breslin are part of the cast, which also features Tom Felton from “Harry Potter” and Abigail Lawrie from “Tin Star.” Kilmer, the actor’s AI-generated counterpart, will feature in “a significant part” of the completed movie.
To depict Kilmer’s character at different points in his life, the project combines footage from his latter years with younger photos of him, many of which were sent by his family. Kilmer’s voice, which was harmed by a tracheostomy operation later in life, is also used in the soundtrack.
“The character in the film also suffers from tuberculosis,” adds John Voorhees, “Again, this historical character mirrored Val’s actual condition when he was suffering from throat cancer. And so 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.”
