The Rip Current with Jacob Ward

The Rip Current with Jacob Ward

Transcript: Hollywood Is Pulling Up the Drawbridge

Val Kilmer's AI resurrection is a feel-good story with a very dark punchline — and Matthew McConaughey's advice to young actors makes it worse.

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Jacob Ward
Mar 20, 2026
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This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and concision.

AI is bringing Val Kilmer back from the dead. It’s a heartwarming story — but it also sets a precedent that could mean the strip-mining of talent, the deepening of already-deep pockets, and a version of Hollywood where people who aren’t already in movies never get to work in them.

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