Low-budget Chinese animated film Niu Lai has just become the most profitable movie ever relative to its budget, beating out Obsession’s previous record in a baffling turn of events.
If you haven’t heard of Niu Lai, don’t worry — it’s a roughly-animated CGI movie that released exclusively in Chinese theaters on August 5 with little to no fanfare. Despite barely having any sort of promotional campaign, it soared at the Chinese box office, raking in RMB 29 million ($4.3 million USD) during its theatrical run.
That’s a pretty impressive number, considering the type of film Niu Lai is. It boasts extremely rough graphics and was reportedly created on a budget of just $200, making its eye-watering profits a massive achievement.
During its first 10 days in theaters, the movie only brought in RMB 7,700 ($1,145 USD), with fewer than 300 tickets sold. It wasn’t long before footage and screenshots from the film started surfacing online, prompting morbidly curious viewers to flock to cinemas to see it for themselves, resulting in a hilarious cultural moment that skyrocketed Niu Lai to national, and now international, fame. Theater employees even made their own promotional posters by hand, as there was simply no marketing budget to advertise it.
So, what is Niu Lai about? The film follows a newborn calf named Niu Lai who learns to overcome his fears in an “abstract” dream sequence. It was created by a mother-son duo, Xin Yumeng and Sun Lifang, who spent five years creating it mostly by themselves.
Earning over $4 million on a project made on a mere $200 budget is nothing to sneeze at, and it means that this unexpected film toppled one of the most highly-lauded flicks of the summer: Obsession, which famously became the most world’s profitable movie in history relative to its cost on a budget of less than $1 million.
With almost no marketing budget but plenty of unexpected hype, Niu Lai has cinemas across China making their own promotional posters by hand. Theater staff are putting their finest artistic skills to work. https://t.co/u2rpHlNUDb pic.twitter.com/mbeHJm4T8W
— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) August 18, 2026
Niu Lai has since surpassed that record, drawing eyes internationally as it continues to gain traction online. While it’s become a world-famous meme of sorts, it’s unclear if its fame will translate to cinema showings outside of China, though there are certainly no shortage of curious commenters wanting to see it for themselves.
It’s been a big summer at the movies on just about all sides, with The Odyssey recently surpassing Deadpool & Wolverine to become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time and Spider-Man: Brand New Day swinging past Avengers: Endgame’s record to become the fastest movie to reach $700 million at the domestic box office.
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.
