Low-Budget Animated Film 'Niu Lai' Becomes Surprise Box Office Hit in China

Niu Lai, a low-budget Chinese animated film about a cow in a dream sequence, has become an unexpected box office success after going viral for its poor animation and confusing plot. Initially grossing just 7,705 yuan ($1,140; £843) in its first 10 days, the film has since earned over 11.4 million yuan, according to movie tracking site Mao Yan, allowing it to compete with Hollywood blockbusters like The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The film's popularity is driven by social media users who praise its 'hand-crafted' quality as a counter to AI-generated content, with some calling it 'pure handmade' and the biggest 'dark horse' of the summer movie season. Others are rooting for the movie due to a pun linking the Chinese character for 'bull' to a bullish stock market. Despite its success, the film has faced criticism from state-owned Beijing News, which warned cinemas against 'lowering their standard' and urged them to reject films that are 'obviously not up to standard'. Cinemas have added screenings and staff have drawn promotional posters by hand due to the lack of an official poster. The film's success is described as 'unprecedented' by a movie-tracking Weibo account.