Chinese animated film Bullfighting is creating one of the most inexplicable box office phenomena in 2026. According to data from Maoyan Professional cited by Chinese media, as of 1:00 PM on August 18, the film's revenue has exceeded 18 million yuan, equivalent to about 68.1 billion VND.
This figure creates a large contrast with the initial theatrical release phase. After 10 days of screening, Nguu Lai only grossed 7,705 yuan, about 29.2 million VND. Thus, in just a few days, the film's revenue has increased thousands of times.
Notably, Maoyan Professional currently forecasts that the total revenue of the work could reach 135 million yuan, equivalent to about 511 billion VND. This is just the forecast level, not the actual revenue and may still change according to ticket sales situation.
On August 15, the number of nationwide screenings of Bullfighting increased from the lowest level of less than 5 screenings to 1,779 screenings. One day later, the film was arranged for about 14,000 screenings. The fact that cinemas quickly added screening schedules directly transformed online interest into revenue.
The first reason for the film's "bumper harvest" is the reverse word-of-mouth effect. Nguu Lai was commented on for having a disastrous image, unnatural movements, clumsy dialogue and confusing content. Criticisms continuously appeared on social networks, but instead of keeping viewers away, they aroused the psychology of wanting to verify themselves.
From a little-known movie, Bullfight became content for photo editing, commentary and video creation. Many viewers buy tickets not simply to enjoy the work but also want to participate in a community event, take "check-in" photos and share experiences. The ticket at this time becomes a form of "social currency", helping viewers participate in the story that is attracting attention.
The crudeness of the film also inadvertently becomes an identifying characteristic. In the market, there are many projects that are heavily invested and well-promoted, a work that has almost no media campaign creates an unusual feeling. The more debated it is, the more widely the film is known.
