Published August 20th, 2026 - 07:11 GMT
ALBAWABA - China's viral animated movie Niu Lai "牛来" (The Cow is Coming) has made over $3 million after it horribly flopped at the box office due to its production quality, including stiff animation, choppy 3D models, and a lackluster storyline. The movie was made by a man and his mother over five years. Reports claim that it only cost the duo $200 to produce and earned 7,169 Chinese yuan ($995) during its first nine days at the box office. However, things quickly took a better turn for Niu Lai after clips of it flooded social media. Niu Lai went viral with many people describing it as a film "so bad it's good." Several others praised the team for their hard work, stating that they prefer watching a movie made by human hands, no matter the quality, rather than using AI to produce it.Chinese film Niu Lai has gone from one of the worst box office flops in history to the most profitable movie of all time.It's made over $3,000,000 on a budget of under $200. pic.twitter.com/W9GwvLeXix— Pubity (@pubity) August 20, 2026 According to several reports, the movie was produced by Dalian Jingyuan Culture Film and Television Media, a company previously known for interior design before taking an interest in animation in 2021. Only two people worked on Niu Lai, including Xin Yumeng (son) as director and Sun Lifang (mother) on writing.Dalian Jingyuan Culture Film and Television Media told Chinese media that it had advised Yumeng against releasing the film, but the director insisted, saying he had spent five years making it. The movie has gained international recognition, prompting a possible global release, with reports claiming that Niu Lai is scheduled for a theatrical release in Singapore on September 1, 202 as part of a Southeast Asia tour.#Niulai is officially going international. The breakout animated film will hit Singapore on September 1, 2026, making it the first stop on its Southeast Asian tour.I won’t comment on the rest.🤣But one thing is worth pointing out: the creators of Niulai have already pulled off… pic.twitter.com/EnjovFlYqW— fsf.🇨🇳 Commentaire très conflictuel (@SharonBelmoo) August 18, 2026
