A small-scale Chinese animated film is making big waves, becoming a surprise hit for homegrown animation. Niu Lai, a locally made cartoon movie, has earned $1.7 million at the domestic box office. Despite limited marketing, the film gained traction through social media clips as audiences flocked to theaters riding its viral momentum.
Why Niu Lai became a viral Chinese animated movie
Word is spreading about a Chinese film titled Niu Lai. It’s the name of the protagonist and also translates to “Here Comes the Cow/The Cow Comes.” The story follows a young cow who has a dream that teaches it how to grow into a brave and responsible adult. What’s really getting attention, though, is how rough the film is. A mother and son made it on a tiny budget, handling the production, animation, and voice work all on their own.
The animation is so awkward and strange-looking that the movie turned into a meme over the past week. It is now a surprise box office hit in China. Tracking platform Maoyan, cited by the BBC, shows it earned just 7,705 yuan ($1,140) in its first 10 days. Since then it has pulled in more than 11.4 million yuan ($1.7 million).
It blew up on Chinese social media, where people are celebrating how bad it looks. The irony is that it’s gone viral as a joke at the exact moment the industry is pushing harder for generative AI in filmmaking.
The film’s popularity has forced a lot of theaters to tack on more screenings, per the BBC. But since no official poster for Niu Lai is out there, employees are drawing their own just to advertise that it’s showing.
Niu Lai is currently available on YouTube, offering nearly 90 minutes of that distinct cow animation. No English subtitles are included, so viewers will need to follow along using context. The cast includes herds of cows, a pack of wolves that attack them, a leopard portrayed as a friend to the cows, and a bird.
