Handmade poster, memes, sudden box office boon: What is the hype behind ‘worse than AI’ Chinese animated film Niu Lai?
Low-budget Chinese animated movie, Niu Lai is about a newborn calf and his journey to find courage and grow into a warrior. It was released on 5 August.
A Chinese animated film called Niu Lai has become a surprising box office success despite being mocked and heavily criticized online. The film, which cost almost nothing to make and has poor graphics, is about a cow in a dream. In just ten days, Niu Lai earned more than 11.4 million yuan at the box office, surpassing major Hollywood films like Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey.
The film's sudden rise in popularity was driven by a viral meme on social media, which mocked its confusing plot and low-quality visuals. Despite having no official promotional materials, theaters across China have begun creating their own posters and artwork to promote the movie. Director Xin Yumeng and his mother, Sun Lifan, spent over five years working on the film without a budget, prioritizing storytelling over visual perfection.
They believe the audience won't scrutinize every detail, allowing the story to take precedence. Niu Lai, which translates to "The Cow Is Coming" in English, is an 86-minute film that has sparked both ridicule and admiration for its unconventional approach to filmmaking.
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