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@SalerinOfSpades
@Variety https://t.co/Rto3gkNI0A
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@Varietyposted on X
EXCLUSIVE: Val Kilmer has been resurrected by AI to star in the new movie "As Deep as the Grave." Here's a first look at the film's trailer. Kilmer's digital return has the support of his daughter, Mercedes, who previously told Variety: "He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling. This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part.” Watch the trailer here: https://t.co/8JNmVVM5cp
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Community Sentiment Analysis
Real-time analysis of public opinion and engagement
Sentiment Distribution
81% Engaged
17% Positive
64% Negative
Positive
17%
Negative
64%
Neutral
19%
Key Takeaways
What the community is saying — both sides
Supporting
1
Family consent & Val’s wishes
Many argue this is the loved ones’ call — his daughter endorsed it and he’d expressed curiosity about tech, so using AI feels like honoring his intent.
2
Tribute and preservation
Fans celebrate AI as a way to keep a legend “alive” on screen, viewing this as a heartfelt extension of his work and legacy.
3
Financial support for the estate
Recreating Kilmer is framed as practical — it compensates the family and can provide for loved ones after his death.
4
Inevitability — industry trend
Commenters expect more AI resurrections and digital doubles as studios lean on technology rather than creating fresh stars.
5
Jobs and ethics worry
Others fear AI will replace actors, writers and crews, and resent studios using tech to cut human roles.
6
Legal/contract safeguards matter
Several replies stress the need for proper likeness deals, SAG guidelines and explicit permissions to make this acceptable.
7
Mixed aesthetic reaction
Some praise Kilmer’s realism while calling the rest of the trailer “AI slop” — applause for the technique but concern about inconsistent quality.
8
Hypocrisy critique
People point out that objections to “AI” vanish when the same outcome is labeled CGI or VFX, accusing critics of a double standard.
9
Eerie / unsettling responses
A portion of replies find the resurrection creepy or emotionally ambivalent, even if they accept the legal and financial rationale.
Opposing
1
Digital necromancy
many replies call this act creepy, “ghoulish” and a desecration of the dead—a mechanized resurrection that people find deeply unsettling and dehumanizing.
2
Family cash grab
a large strand accuses the estate/daughter of selling his likeness for money, framing the decision as profit-driven exploitation rather than an artistic choice.
3
Consent matters
critics argue family approval isn’t the same as the actor’s consent—if Kilmer didn’t sign off while alive, using his likeness is ethically dubious.
4
Hurts living actors and the craft
many worry studios will prefer cheap AI over hiring real performers, starving new actors of roles and eroding acting as a living art form.
5
Technical and aesthetic failure
consistent complaints that the trailer looks like AI slop / uncanny valley—voices sound wrong, facial work is unconvincing, and the result reads as a high‑res ghost, not a performance.
6
Call to boycott
a large number of replies urge a consumer response—don’t watch, don’t pay—as the primary way to resist normalization of this practice.
7
Narrow, defensible exceptions
a minority concede a legitimate use case—completing footage already shot or preserving continuity—but reject wholesale posthumous casting for new roles.
8
Legal and ownership alarm
people fear this sets a precedent where studios and estates can own and monetize likenesses forever, transforming bodies of work into perpetual, corporately controlled assets.
9
Emotional and cultural harm
beyond ethics and jobs, many find it personally traumatic—blurs the line between life and death and robs audiences of the human connection that an actual actor brings.
Top Reactions
Most popular replies, ranked by engagement
E
@erikaxtc
THIS IS CREEPY AF...and it's also sad that they are allowing this
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@TheOnlyDSC
I genuinely want this movie to fail hard.
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@normposter
Disgusting necromancy
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5
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S
@Shadaya_Knight
Hollywood can't create new stars, so expect more of this, dead stars being resurrected with Ai
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0
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@MultimediaJay
If they have permission from the family it's the loved ones' call. 🙂
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