‘Iceman’ Val Kilmer Set to Tell His Story in New Documentary

Val Kilmer never followed the career plan that Hollywood wanted for him, and now the (true) maverick actor is the subject of a new documentary called “Val.”

Kilmer has suffered from health issues over the past few years, and he now has difficulty speaking because of a tracheotomy after a throat cancer diagnosis. He looked back on his career and medical problems in the 2020 memoir "I'm Your Huckleberry."

His everlasting fame comes from his performance as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, Pete Mitchell’s nemesis and grudging ally in “Top Gun.” He’s not in the movie for very long, but he makes a huge impression. Kilmer will return as Iceman in the upcoming sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick.”

Related: Iceman Val Kilmer's Top 10 Movie Performances

Directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo, “Val” makes extensive use of footage Kilmer shot of himself talking to a camera over a long period of time. There are also newly filmed interviews with the actor and footage from his personal collection. Kilmer grew up making 16mm home movies with his brothers and documented his time on set in movies throughout his career.

Amazon Studios has acquired rights to the film for the United States and Latin America. Independent studio A24 will handle distribution in the rest of the world. Look for a release this fall.

Kilmer can’t believe the movie actually got made.

“At least once a day for years, I looked around and got this bittersweet feeling that there are a thousand reasons that this project could’ve been shipwrecked,” Kilmer said in a statement. “I mean, what could a film look like of a man filming himself, sometimes daily, years at a time? It is unimaginable that this movie actually could’ve ever come to light without the partnership of my dear friends, Leo and Ting, and my producing partners.”

Kilmer’s one of the true originals. Here’s looking forward to his best “Top Gun” stories, and we’re hoping for some new behind-the-scenes footage.

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