“Don’t fear the dead — and don’t fear me.” That line, delivered by an uncanny recreation of a young Val Kilmer in the trailer for the western As Deep as the Grave, has reignited debate over the use of artificial intelligence to create lifelike screen performers.
Director Coerte Voorhees used an AI-generated image of a thirtysomething Kilmer — a likeness cleared by the actor’s estate — and the result has proved polarising. While the estate said Kilmer had been enthusiastic about new technologies that expand storytelling, the clip has been criticised for its stiff movement, absence of Kilmer’s recognisable vocal qualities and a broadly unsettling, almost robotic presence.
Ethical and aesthetic questions have followed. Supporters argue that digital recreations can open new creative possibilities and allow storytellers to use historical or deceased figures with estate approval, while opponents warn about the risks to actors’ livelihoods, the potential for misuse of likenesses, and a loss of human nuance in performance.
Also stoking the conversation is Tilly Norwood, a fabricated starlet who is reportedly set to make a feature debut. Her emergence alongside the Kilmer likeness highlights a growing industry interest in entirely synthetic performers and raises practical questions about casting, credit, compensation and audience acceptance.
Experts remain split on how quickly such technology will be adopted in mainstream filmmaking. Some say current examples underline how far the technology still has to go — citing rigidity and missing vocal or emotional complexity — while others suggest rapid improvements in AI could make digital performers increasingly convincing and commercially attractive in the near future.
For now, the use of digitally recreated actors appears likely to remain contentious and uneven: embraced in some projects with clear artistic or legal frameworks, resisted in others by unions, performers and audiences concerned about authenticity. The debate over where to draw the line between innovation and replacement shows no sign of fading as studios and creators experiment with the new tools.