Low-budget Chinese animation sparks viral hype and box-office surge

“Niulai,” a Chinese animated feature about a calf’s dream, was created by Xin Yumeng and his mother Sun Lifan over a five-year period with very basic 3D techniques. The film debuted on Aug. 5, earning roughly 10,000 yuan in its first ten days and sometimes as little as 200 yuan, according to the Maoyan tracking service. Online platforms such as Douban flooded the title with mocking comments, labeling it “terribly ugly” and likening it to internet trolling.

This ridicule sparked a viral trend, and box-office receipts surged to 8.2 million yuan on a Monday, with close to 300,000 tickets sold. Total earnings have climbed to 17.1 million yuan. Theater posters display a pen-drawn calf and cheeky slogans like “Come if you like the bizarre” and “No refunds,” while some viewers treat the movie as a humorous meme experience rather than a serious work.