A Chinese animated film made by just two people has gone from a near-invisible box-office opening to an unlikely viral sensation after viewers began buying tickets simply to see how bad it really was.
Niu Lai, translated as The Ox Comes, initially earned just 7,169 yuan (about $1,000) from 236 viewers during its first nine days in theatres. But after clips of its crude animation went viral on Chinese social media, curiosity around the film exploded.