Director Adam Marcus criticized the behavior of the late actor Val Kilmer during the production of the 2008 action thriller Conspiracy in social media posts published on June 2, 2026, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Marcus directed Kilmer in the film, which focused on a wounded Marine discovering a corporate conspiracy in an Arizona border town.
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The director shared his grievances on Threads alongside a photo of himself and Kilmer on the movie set.
Director's Remarks
"#MicroIntellectMonday to that time when I directed that guy. The guy who played Iceman and Doc Holiday.
You know the one," stated Adam Marcus.
Marcus then followed up his initial comment to address potential backlash regarding his statements about the actor, who passed away from pneumonia on April 1 after experiencing long-term health complications from throat cancer.
"Here's me and the Putz working it out on the set of Conspiracy. So yeah, that happened," said Adam Marcus.
The filmmaker rejected the notion that deceased individuals should not face public criticism for their past actions.
Marcus asserted that such conduct would lead to immediate professional consequences in the current industry climate.
"And to any of you rolling your eyes because of the whole 'don't speak ill of the dead bulls***,' f*** that," stated Adam Marcus.
Marcus alleged that the actor's behavior on set was exceptionally poor compared to anyone else he had encountered.
The social media posts have since been removed from the platform.
"[If] this guy did one-tenth of what he did on my set today, he would have been cancelled in a blink," said Adam Marcus.
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The Independent reported that it reached out to Kilmer's former manager for a statement regarding the director's remarks.
Conspiracy, which also featured Gary Cole and Jennifer Esposito, received largely negative reviews from critics.
"Worst human being I've ever known… and that is really saying something," stated Adam Marcus.
Other filmmakers and actors have previously shared negative experiences regarding their work with Kilmer.
During the production of the 1996 film The Island of Dr Moreau, co-star Marlon Brando reportedly threw Kilmer's phone into a bush and criticized his attitude relative to his compensation.
"I don't like Val Kilmer, I don't like his work ethic, and I don't want to be associated with him ever again," said John Frankenheimer, director.
Separately, Kilmer recently appeared via an artificial intelligence likeness in the 2026 film As Deep as the Grave.
Directors Coerte and John Voorhees utilized archival footage, photographs, and audio recordings with permission from Kilmer's children to create the digital performance.
"We are 100 per cent confident it's really the right move with this specific film, and we're really, really looking forward to everyone being able to judge it for themselves," said Coerte Voorhees, writer and director.
Kilmer originally agreed to star in the Navajo history film years ago but could not film due to his health.
The production team stated that the project complied with all SAG-AFTRA AI regulations.
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"We're making a bold claim, (a) bold statement, which is that we believe we're doing this in an ethical way," said John Voorhees, director.
