Society & Work20 October 2026, 06:00 UTC7 min read

Hollywood AI-listers: is the technology ready to rival flesh-and-blood film stars?

An AI‑generated likeness of the late Val Kilmer is featured in the trailer for the upcoming western As Deep as the Grave. The actor’s estate gave permission, saying Kilmer was enthusiastic about new storytelling technology, though the result looks “rigid” and lacks his signature voice, according to the article.

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Key points

AI-generated Val Kilmer likeness appears in *As Deep as the Grave* trailer, approved by his estate
Higgsfield AI released two full‑length AI‑only films, *Hell Grind* (95 min) and *The Cully Hill Boys* (115 min), made in a fortnight and a month
Seedance 2.5 video model enables 30‑second AI scene generation with 4,000‑word prompts, but emotional range remains limited

Higgsfield AI, a video‑generation startup, has released two fully AI‑created feature films this year: Hell Grind, a 95‑minute action fantasy released in May, and The Cully Hill Boys, a 115‑minute comedy released three months later. Both were produced quickly – a fortnight for Hell Grind and about a month for The Cully Hill Boys – using the Chinese video model Seedance 2.0 and the newly released Seedance 2.5. The newer model allows 30‑second scene generation driven by 4,000‑word prompts that specify action, lighting and emotions, though creators note the AI can only convey a single emotion per 15‑second shot and often sounds over‑the‑top.

Industry voices such as Tim Webber (Framestore), Adil Alimzhanov (Higgsfield), Zack London and Tye Sheridan (Wonder Dynamics) stress that AI actors still lack genuine internal nuance, but they see the technology as a way to democratise filmmaking and cut production costs.

Full story from The Guardian AI · by Phil HoadOpen source ↗