[Diary Point = Reporter Eom Ju-yong] 'Raphael,' a feature film produced entirely with generative artificial intelligence, will open in Lotte Cinema theaters on November 25. The release date has been confirmed for this AI-generated sci-fi feature as it heads to theaters.
'Raphael' is a co-production between Matteo AI Studio and MBC C&I's AI Content Lab. Matteo AI Studio announced the release date and participating theaters through its official channel on October 23, confirming that the film was made 100% using generative AI. The film was directed by Yang Ik-june, Jung Joo-won and Moon Shin-woo.
The story is set in 2050, a world where civilization has collapsed due to climate disasters and war. Alexei, an android war weapon modeled after the dictator's younger self, encounters an unregistered child and humanity's last bride in the controlled zone of Delmore. The central plot follows Alexei, who lives in a society where emotions are suppressed, as he awakens to his humanity and sets out in search of freedom.
The production team used generative AI to create the film's key elements, including characters, futuristic cityscapes and battle scenes. Post-production work—correcting and refining the AI-generated images and footage scene by scene—took one year and two months. Special care was also taken to maintain consistency in each character's appearance and movement so they would not look different from scene to scene.
'Raphael' was selected for the 2025 AI Video Production Support Project, overseen by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and supported by the Korea Creative Content Agency. It screened as the opening film of the 2nd Busan International AI Film Festival last year, and in May 2026 a portion of the film was shown at the Kling AI Conference held during the Marché du Film, the film market running alongside the Cannes Film Festival. The Korean Film Council's overseas distribution information site introduced the work as Korea's first fully AI-produced feature film, noting that a team of seven used AI to create large-scale battle sequences and other elements.
The poster released alongside the announcement shows protagonist Alexei's face scattering like sand against a desolate desert backdrop, revealing the mechanical components beneath. The poster carries the line, "Can I go to heaven when I die, too?" The film will screen in Lotte Cinema theaters starting November 25.