Niu Lai, a Chinese animated film that was initially mocked online for its animation quality, has turned into an unexpected box-office sensation. Made by just two people over nearly five years, the film has attracted audiences through a surprising combination of online trolling and curiosity.
The film was reportedly made on a tiny budget of around 1,680 yuan and initially earned only a few thousand yuan at the box office. However, its fortunes changed after clips and discussions about the film went viral on social media. Viewers began mocking the animation, with some even comparing it to AI-generated content.
Interestingly, the negative publicity worked in the film’s favour. Curious audiences started buying tickets to see whether the movie was really as bad as people online claimed. The sudden interest led theatres to increase screenings, and the film’s earnings have now crossed 6.8 million yuan, taking it close to the $1 million mark.
Niu Lai’s turnaround is particularly unusual because the film had no major stars, big production house or expensive promotional campaign behind it. Instead, online criticism became its biggest publicity tool, turning a film that initially attracted little attention into one of the most talked-about box-office surprises in recent times.