Directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo, “Val” doesn’t shy away from the health struggles that prompted Kilmer, now 61, to retreat from the spotlight in recent years. He first went public about his diagnosis with throat cancer in 2017,After undergoing a tracheotomy, chemotherapy and radiation,that he’s been cancer-free for four years. The treatment, however, has diminished the clarity of his speaking voice.
“I’m still recovering and it’s difficult to talk and to be understood, but I want to tell my story more than ever,” he says in the clip. “It’s a story about my life that is also not my life.” Kilmer shared similar sentiments on Twitter. “Here’s to giving every day the opportunity to be the most beautiful of your life,” he“Val,” which hits U.S. theaters July 23 and will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime Aug. 6, is being released as Kilmer makes his return to acting.