What is Warm Train about?

According to production company Creative Mango, which announced the project on October 15, Warm Train tells the story of Jae-hoon, a tired office worker who wakes up one morning transformed into a giant insect and still goes to work. Packed subway passengers jostle and push him, and the film portrays the isolation he feels. The story takes inspiration from Franz Kafka's novel The Metamorphosis.

How was it made with AI?

The production used the AI video tool Kling AI to create scenes such as the giant insect colliding with crowds of passengers. Ryu Jae-hwan, the VFX supervisor who handled the AI opening for the drama Agent Kim, is in charge of the AI video work.

Why does Kim Seong-su say AI matters?

Kim said that bringing a director's imagined scenes to screen usually takes one to two years, and that Seoul Spring took nearly four years before he could see its scenes on set. He said work that once took two years can now be done in two days. He also reflected that budget and technology had been the filters that shaped his scripts. Still, he stressed that AI can show anything imaginable, but people give the footage its value.

What else is happening?

Creative Mango is also running The Collaboration 2026, which pairs established directors such as Lee Myung-se, Jang Cheol-soo, and Shin Yeon-sik with AI directors to make short films. The project is co-hosted by the Seoul Independent Film Festival and will be screened at CGV Apgujeong in Seoul on November 27.

For international fans

Kim Seong-su directed Seoul Spring, a 2023 Korean film. Creative Mango's announcement covers Warm Train and The Collaboration 2026, and the company has not announced international release details in this report.