A Chinese Animated Film Mocked as ‘Terrible’ Becomes a Box-Office Hit
Online ridicule turned the low-budget animated film into an unlikely hit, with ticket sales topping 20 million yuan, Maoyan said.
- On August 5, the low-budget animated film Niu Lai opened to minimal ticket sales, but viral online mockery transformed the project into a surprising Chinese box-office hit by Saturday, August 22, 2026.
- Director Xin Yumeng and his mother, screenwriter Sun Lifang, spent five years creating the 86-minute film with limited resources, handling all writing, voice acting, and production without professional studio support.
- Social media users initially ridiculed the film's crude 3D animation and stiff movements, yet this mockery sparked curiosity, leading audiences to theaters to witness the 'unbelievably terrible and eye-opening' production.
- Cinemas nationwide began hand-painting promotional posters to meet surging demand, while the film grossed over 30 million yuan , despite state-affiliated Beijing News urging exhibitors to 'act as gatekeepers' against substandard films.
- Observers suggest the film's success reflects a grassroots rebellion against polished 'AI slop,' offering a 'handmade, naive' alternative that resonates with audiences weary of state-backed narratives and institutional control.
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Becoming viral on social networks because of its strange 3D graphics, mocked by Internet users, this low-budget film imagined by a mother and her son, still benefits from a word of mouth and cardboard box office since its release in China on August 5.
"Niu Lai" is described as a ugly film, yet "Niu Lai" is a box office film in China. Directed by a mother and her son, it generated nearly 4 million euros. But how did this "rudimentary" creation become viral? (Culture, media and entertainment).
Homemade, Low-Budget Animated Film Is Box Office Hit in China, Challenges CCP Control Over Cinema
A low-budget, homemade animated film has suddenly become a box office hit in mainland China, which analysts said has reflected the public’s aversion to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) control over film and propaganda. “Niu Lai,” released on Aug. 5, was initially mocked for its poor production quality and grossed a mere 7,169 yuan ($1,067) in its first nine days in cinemas nationwide. However, a clip of the movie went viral and sparked the C…
The film is the work of a mother and her son, who animated him image by image for five years and composed the music.
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