# Chinese animated film Niu Lai turns online ridicule into box-office success 2026-08-16T07:26:32+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets A Chinese animated film, Niu Lai, that was widely mocked for its poor animation has become an unlikely box-office hit, with earnings crossing 6.8 million yuan (about $1 million). Directed by Xin Yumeng and written by Sun Lifang, the film was made by just two people over nearly five years on a budget of around 1,680 yuan, according to 123telugu.com. It initially earned only 7,700 yuan ($1,140) in its first 10 days in 245 theatres, as reported by Hindustan Times. After clips of the film went viral on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, viewers ridiculed its animation quality and awkward storytelling, Bloomberg reported via Hindustan Times. However, negative attention sparked curiosity, driving audiences to buy tickets to judge the film for themselves. Some theatres increased screenings due to sudden demand. The film's pre-sales crossed 100,000 yuan on August 15, Hindustan Times noted. By August 14, screenings had been reduced to just four screens before the social media push revived it. 123telugu.com reports the film's earnings have now neared $1 million. Niu Lai had no promotional campaign, trailers, or interviews. The film's success illustrates the growing power of social media attention in driving consumer behaviour in China, even when the reaction is largely negative, Hindustan Times said. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com - 123telugu.com This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-17T09:56:16+00:00. Tags: China, Niu Lai, Xin Yumeng Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/chinese-animated-film-niu-lai-turns-trolling-into-box-office-success/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/chinese-animated-film-niu-lai-turns-trolling-into-box-office-success/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/