The low-budget Chinese animated film Niulai (牛来) has unexpectedly become a box-office phenomenon, largely because audiences consider it exceptionally poorly made. Released on August 5, the 86-minute film earned only RMB 7,169 (US$1,067) in its first nine days. But curiosity, online mockery, and viral memes subsequently drove audiences into theaters. By August 24, its cumulative box office had reportedly reached about RMB 45.2 million (US$6.3 million), while Maoyan’s professional platform projected a final total of around RMB 119 million (US$16.6 million).
The film tells the story of a young calf named “Niulai” and a leopard named “Baola.” Its crude 3D modeling, stiff animation, and seemingly illogical dubbing have become the focus of online jokes. The film was reportedly produced almost entirely by a mother-and-son team over five years, with the son handling directing, modeling, editing, and dubbing, while his mother handled the screenplay and additional dubbing. Industry estimates put the production cost at only several thousand to tens of thousands of yuan.
The film has generated a wave of online parody and remixing, with Chinese netizens creating spin-offs such as Malai, Goulai, Xionglai, and Lv Lai, featuring horses, dogs, bears, and donkeys, respectively.
Some political commentators interpret the phenomenon as more than simple entertainment, arguing that audiences may be expressing fatigue with the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) heavily promoted patriotic and political narratives and seeking a channel of non-mainstream expression. Others attribute its popularity primarily to its unusual production story, poor but genuine amateur quality, comedic effect, and the power of online meme culture.
Source: Epoch Times, August 20, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/8/20/n14833144.htm