{
  "id": 1622316,
  "title": "A Chinese animated film mocked as ‘terrible’ becomes a box-office hit",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/a-chinese-animated-film-mocked-as-terrible-becomes-a-box-office-hit",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-18T03:34:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/2026/08/17/a-chinese-animated-film-mocked-as-terrible-becomes-a-box-office-hit"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Chinese animated film, initially mocked as \"terrible,\" has become a box-office hit. Dubbed \"Niulai,\" the film follows the story of a calf whose dream involves growing up with the help of his family. Despite its rudimentary 3D animation and description as \"ugly\" and \"eerie,\" the movie gained attention thanks to scathing online reviews. The film's box office surged to 8.2 million yuan ($1.2 million) on its first day, with nearly 300,000 admissions. Local news reported that the film was made by just two people - director Xin Yumeng and his mother, Sun Lifan. The movie's unconventional nature and simplicity have resonated with some viewers, while others found it funny and recommended it to others.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "\"Niulai\" mocked as \"terrible\" animated film",
    "Directed by Xin Yumeng and his mother Sun Lifan",
    "Box office surged to 8.2 million yuan on first day"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The film's success suggests that poor production quality can sometimes be eclipsed by word-of-mouth and curiosity, allowing unconventional works to find an audience and achieve commercial viability.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}