Niu Lai becomes world's most profitable film relative to budget

The Chinese animated film ‘Niu Lai’ has become the most profitable film in history relative to its production budget. Created by a mother and son using second-hand computer parts and architectural modeling software, the film reportedly cost as little as $200 to produce.

Initially released in August with no marketing, trailers, or press tours, the film saw very low initial engagement, earning only about $1,100 in its first nine days. However, clips of its rudimentary, video-game-era animation went viral online. This sparked a wave of curiosity and mockery that translated into significant box office success.

‘Niu Lai’ has grossed approximately $5.9 million (41.31 million RMB) to date, with projections suggesting it could reach 134 million RMB. This represents a return on investment of several thousand times its budget, surpassing the previous record held by the American horror film ‘Obsession’, which grossed roughly 661 times its $750,000 budget.