An amateur animated film has become a surprise box-office hit in China, fuelling a wider debate about cinema, artificial intelligence and audience tastes. Made by a mother-and-son team on a shoestring budget, Niu Lai went from commercial failure to viral sensation after attracting a wave of negative reviews.
Issued on: 23/08/2026 - 12:15
3 min Reading time
In an era of blockbusters and AI-generated videos, Niu Lai ("The Arrival of the Ox") looks like a relic from another age. Its angular modelling, erratic animation and crude textures recall the computer graphics of the early 1990s. Yet the dreamlike adventures of a shy calf have become a genuine cinema phenomenon thanks to the negative publicity surrounding the film. Xin Yumeng began the project with a budget of about €13,000, funded by family savings. With no formal training, the former interior designer directed, modelled, animated and voiced the film himself while his mother wrote the screenplay and theme song. Over five years, the pair created the story of a young calf discovering life through a dream filled with encounters and dangers. Box office turnaround Despite warnings from distributors not to release the film, Niu Lai made it into cinemas without a promotional poster, advertising campaign or trailer. Cinemas even had to draw their own posters by hand. Its release on 5 August was a complete flop. After 10 days, ticket sales had brought in little more than 7,000 yuan, or just under €900, with barely more than 200 tickets sold.
