China's “Worst Movie” Becomes a Surprise Box-Office Hit
TDT | Manama
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A little-known Chinese animated film has gone from box-office disaster to internet sensation, challenging expectations in a summer dominated by Hollywood blockbusters.
Niu Lai, The Cow Is Coming opened on August 5 with almost no marketing and initially sold fewer than 300 tickets, earning just 7,169 yuan in its first nine days. Its stiff animation, unusual storyline and amateurish production soon became viral content on Chinese social media.
Instead of killing the film, the online mockery sparked curiosity, with audiences turning up to experience the much-discussed movie for themselves. Its box office subsequently surged past 14.9 million yuan by mid-August, prompting cinemas to add screenings.
Made reportedly by just two people over five years, the 86-minute film has become an unlikely symbol of grassroots creativity—and a reminder that sometimes, the internet can create a blockbuster out of almost nothing.
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