He was the actor I wanted to play this role. It drew on his Native American heritage and his ties to and love of the Southwest. But Kilmer was unable to make it to set due to his battle with throat cancer. The film-maker is working in conjunction with the late actor's estate and his daughter, Mercedes, to bring Kilmer back to life with state-of-the-art, generative AI.
"To those who have expressed anger over the creation of my AI character, Tilly Norwood, she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work - a piece of art," Eline Van der Velden, founder of the AI firm Particle 6 Productions, said in a statement posted to Instagram. "Like many forms of art before her, she sparks conversation, and that in itself shows the power of creativity."