Kilmer, who has been recovering from throat cancer, first revealed the health diagnosis in 2017. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments have left Kilmer unable to speak clearly, but he hasn’t lost his creative voice. “Val” compiles footage dating back to his childhood, along with personal recordings from the early days in his career — including his 1983 Broadway debut. Kilmer’s son Jack, an actor himself, narrates the film.
As for Kilmer, the 61-year-old actor has been documenting his life and career through film and video for more than 40 years. He has amassed thousands of hours of footage, including 16mm home movies made with his brothers and footage from his iconic roles in “Top Gun,” “The Doors,” “Tombstone,” and “Batman Forever.” The raw and unabashed original documentary reveals a heartfelt and at times hilarious look at Kilmer’s life.
“Val always said he didn’t see it as a documentary,” director Leo Scott said in an interview with IndieWire. “He saw it as a movie starring Val Kilmer as the main character in the story about his life, and we all aligned on that feeling.” “Val” is produced by A24 and directed by Scott and Ting Poo, with Ben Cotner as executive producer. Kilmer co-produced the film along with Scott, Poo, Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard, Jordan Wynn, Brad Koepenick, and Ali Alborzi. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
