ALBAWABA - A low-budget Chinese animated movie called 'Niu Lai' (Here Comes the Ox) took the internet by storm for its stiff animation, choppy 3D models, and lackluster storyline.
According to Global Times, the movie hit cinema theaters in China on August 5, garnering only 7,169 Chinese yuan ($995) during its first nine days. However, film fans were intrigued by 'Niu Lai's' production and its two-man studio team, causing the movie's cumulative box office to skyrocket to 2.5 million Chinese yuan by the time of reporting.
Due to its small team and limited budget, Niu Lai didn't receive major promotional campaigns, which created little to no social media anticipation and naturally garnered a limited audience. According to Maoyan, fewer than 300 people watched the movie in its first nine days.
Choppy Chinese animated movie 'Niu Lai' garners $370,000
Things took a better turn for the movie on August 14 when short clips and memes of it flooded social media. Many social media users claimed they preferred the movie's choppy production over having it AI-generated.
"That's how low the bar is. People will take anything as long as it's not AI produced slop even if it's the sh**tiest thing ever."
"its so bad its good? where can we watch it outside China?"
A Chinese user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "Many people feel that in the age of AI, having filmmakers who still stick to "handcrafted" animation and genuine effort is both honest and far more powerful than polished yet empty productions."
According to several reports, the movie was produced by Dalian Jingyuan Culture Film and Television Media, a company previously known for interior design before taking an interest in animation in 2021. Only two people worked on Niu Lai, including Xin Yumeng as director and Sun Lifang on writing.
The company told Chinese media that it advised Yumeng against releasing the film, but the director insisted because he had spent five years making it.
