LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) — The first images of late American film star Val Kilmer returning to the big screen courtesy of artificial intelligence (AI) were unveiled Wednesday in Las Vegas, in what will likely stir debate over the technology’s role in Hollywood.

A youthful, digital version of Kilmer appears in the trailer for “As Deep as the Grave,” telling another character: “Don’t fear the dead and don’t fear me.”

The footage premiered at CinemaCon, the annual conference where studios present upcoming releases to movie theater owners.

Brothers Coerte and John Voorhees, director and producer of the film, said they hope to release the historical drama by the end of the year.

Kilmer, best known for his roles in “Top Gun,” “Batman Forever” and “The Doors,” died of pneumonia in April 2025 at the age of 65.

The project drew headlines last month when the filmmakers revealed they had recreated the actor using AI with the consent of his family.

The use of artificial intelligence remains one of the most sensitive issues in the entertainment industry and was central to the 2023 strikes that shut down Hollywood, as actors and writers warned that unchecked technology threatened their livelihoods.

“As Deep as the Grave” follows pioneering archeologists Ann and Earl Morris — the latter credited by some with helping inspire the fictional Indiana Jones — and originally cast Kilmer before the coronavirus pandemic to play a Catholic priest.