Made by mother-son duo for $1K, trolled upon release, this indie film is beating The Odyssey, Obsession at box office

A low-budget cartoon about a calf has become an unlikely box-office sensation in China, turning online ridicule into millions of dollars in ticket sales.

It wasn't a film that was supposed to work, or even find a wide release. But the Chinese animated film Niu Lai has defied all expectations. Social media ridicule turned into free marketing for this tiny film over the last week, catapulting it to box-office success and making it one of the most profitable films in history.

A still from Niu Lai.

What is Niu Lai?

Niu Lai is an 86-minute production made by a self-taught filmmaker and his mother for just around $1000. The film was released without any promotions in select theatres in China, earning just 7,000 yuan ($1,038) during its first 10 days. As viewer interest was scarce, the screens diminished, and it was reported to be playing in fewer than 10 screens by August 15. Then, it became a social media sensation.

The film, whose title translates as "Come Here, Cow," follows a newborn calf named Niu Lai as he learns about friendship, trust, responsibility, and sacrifice, usually with his mother at his side. The journey ultimately turns out to be a dream. In the happy ending, Niu Lai’s mother introduces the calf to his father.

The 'deceptive' poster of Niu Lai that drew early audiences to theatres.

Social media trolling turns promotional campaign

Weibo, China's answer to Twitter, was flooded with screengrabs and videos of the film's shoddy animation, prompting people to turn up to screenings just to see how bad it is. This led to a surge in demand for tickets. Niu Lai sold tickets worth 100K yuan on August 16. Then, it skyrocketed. According to the ticketing platform Maoyan, by Tuesday (August 18), the animated film ranked fifth at China’s daily box office with cumulative sales exceeding 20 million yuan ($3 million). Trade estimates put its lifetime earnings at 135 million yuan (close to $20 million).

At the Chinese box office, Niu Lai is now out-earning The Odyssey on a day-to-day basis, a stunning feat for a film made in under $1000. It is also delivering high on the profit margin, reportedly having earned 3000X times its budget, the highest in cinema history, beating blockbusters like Paranormal Activity and Obsession.

The cartoon's notoriety helped spread the word and prepared viewers for what many expected to be a poorly made spectacle. In packed theatres across China, viewers are having a good time. Bloomberg quoted a 16-year-old viewer as saying, “I saw the online posts and came for the laughter. It is indeed very cheerful. The logic of the story also makes perfect sense!”

Niu Lai's uncommon journey

Niu Lai’s improbable path to box-office riches began five years ago. Local media reports say that Xin Yumeng, 34, a landscape architect, began work on the project together with his mother, who’s an employee at a state-owned company. The two lacked relevant qualifications or experience and learned the skills they needed on their own, from animation techniques and playwriting to voice acting. The mother, Sun Lifang, wrote the screenplay and the theme song, which is now proving popular with audiences.

This rags-to-riches backstory has also helped the cartoon endear itself to the Chinese public. Some noted in online posts that the handmade feel of the animation offered a rare display of sincerity in the age of AI.

(With inputs from Bloomberg)