🔥 Trending Chinese Animated Film 'Niu Lai' Box Office Performance

The Chinese animated film 'Niu Lai' (牛來), released during the 2026 summer box office season, has recorded an exceptionally low performance, setting a new record for the lowest-grossing animated film in mainland China for the year ¹⁷.

As of August 14, 2026, after ten days in theaters, the film's cumulative box office revenue was approximately 7,705 Chinese Yuan (RMB), with only 236 total admissions ¹. Some reports indicate that after nine days, the cumulative box office was 7,169 RMB ⁷⁸¹⁰. The highest single-day attendance was reported to be just over ten people ⁶⁷.

This dismal performance is largely attributed to the film's almost non-existent promotional campaign, coupled with criticism regarding its "crude animation quality and empty plot" ¹. Directed by Xin Yumeng and running 86 minutes, 'Niu Lai' was produced independently by a small team ⁶. Despite its poor critical reception, some viewers reportedly sought out the film out of curiosity, leading to ironic reviews online ¹.