"His family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this."

"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. He was the actor I wanted to play this role.... Normally we would just recast an actor. I’m all about working with our actors.... But we can’t roll camera again. We don’t have the budget...."

Says Coerte Voorhees, the writer and director of "As Deep as the Grave," quoted in "Val Kilmer Resurrected by AI to Star in ‘As Deep as the Grave’ Movie — First Look" (Variety).

There’s still a heated debate surrounding AI, with some parts of the creative community concerned that the technology will lead to job losses and worries that actors’ likenesses will be used without their consent. The brothers know that their decision may draw criticism, but they hope that “As Deep as the Grave” will show how AI can be used ethically. They also note that the production relied on SAG guidelines and compensated Kilmer’s estate for his appearance.

I presume there will be outrage.