Val Kilmer and His Voice Return to 'Top Gun: Maverick' with the Help of A.I.
Through the power of technology, we're already accustomed to films bringing back actors from the dead - but this may be the first time cutting-edge technology was used to bring an actor's voice back.
By "this," we mean actor Val Kilmer's appearance in this summer's smash hit, Top Gun: Maverick.
After Val Kilmer lost the ability to speak while undergoing treatment for throat cancer in 2014, the Top Gun: Maverick team had to find an innovative way to bring back his iconic Tom "Iceman" Kazansky - because star Tom Cruise insisted that he wouldn't do a Top Gun sequel without Kilmer reprising the role.
In an IndieWire interview back August 2021, Kilmer announced that he had partnered with Sonantic to recreate his speaking voice using artificial intelligence.
After giving the company countless hours of his speaking voice, the data was fed to an A.I., which was taught how to speak like Kilmer. The A.I. was then able to construct an algorithm that created 40 different models of Kilmer's voice. Finally, the team chose the most expressive, realistic sounding model to use for Kilmer's one line of dialogue in Top Gun: Maverick.
In a statement about the A.I., which was also used to narrate an acclaimed documentary about Kilmer's life and career, called Val, the actor said:
"I'm grateful to the entire team at Sonantic who masterfully restored my voice in a way I've never imagined possible. As human beings, the ability to communicate is the core of our existence, and the side effects from throat cancer have made it difficult for others to understand me. The chance to narrate my story, in a voice that feels authentic and familiar, is an incredibly special gift."
For Top Gun: Maverick, Iceman's story became a situation where art imitated life. The film took inspiration from Kilmer's real life, resulting in Iceman also having cancer and losing his voice. The character ends up having to communicate through typing.
While the use of technology to bring back actors from the dead has been controversial, it's interesting to see how these technological advances can be used to give someone Kilmer a second chance at reviving one of his iconic roles - and even just to hear himself speak again.
What do you think of Kilmer's reappearance in the Top Gun universe? Was the use of tech worth it?
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