By Rollo Ross
LAS VEGAS, April 16 (Reuters) – The makers of a new film with an AI-generated performance by late actor Val Kilmer defended their work on Thursday and said they believed their approach demonstrated an ethical path to future use of the technology in Hollywood.
Brothers Coerte and John Voorhees said they had gained consent from Kilmer’s children to use AI to create his role in “As Deep as the Grave,” the story of archaeologists who explore the history of the Navajo people in New Mexico. They said they used archival footage, photos and voice recordings to help craft the performance.
“We are 100% confident it’s really the right move with this specific film, and we’re really, really looking forward to everyone being able to judge it for themselves,” Coerte Voorhees, the movie’s writer and director, said in an interview at the CinemaCon convention for theater owners in Las Vegas.
Kilmer, best known for his role in the “Top Gun” movies, had signed on to star in “As Deep as the Grave” several years ago but was unable to make it onto the set because of poor health. He died a year ago at age 65 after a battle with throat cancer.
A trailer from the movie, released this week, showed Kilmer in the role of Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist.
“Don’t fear the dead. And don’t fear me,” Kilmer’s likeness says in the trailer.
The trailer drew criticism on social media, with some commenters calling it “terrifying” and “disgusting.” “It’s called REST IN PEACE for a reason,” one said.
Coerte Voorhees said he did not think audiences that see the film will be able to tell that Kilmer’s role was not a human performance.
The brothers also said they hoped they were showing Hollywood how to use the technology in a positive way. Many actors are worried about unauthorized uses of their images that appear lifelike. The Voorhees brothers said they had followed all guidelines on AI use set forth by the SAG-AFTRA actors union.
“We’re making a bold claim, (a) bold statement, which is that we believe we’re doing this in an ethical way,” John Voorhees said. He said that not only had Kilmer’s estate given consent, but that the family had collaborated artistically “in every possible way.”
He added: “There’s so much change happening that of course it’s scary and it’s something that people are uncertain about.”
(Reporting by Rollo Ross in Los Angeles;Writing by Lisa RichwineEditing by Matthew Lewis)
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