The Chinese animated film “The Coming of the Calf” has been making waves since its release on August 5th. Despite only earning a meager 7,711 yuan (RMB) at the box office in the first 10 days, the film unexpectedly gained popularity due to its “disastrous-level” visual quality. Just as its box office numbers were soaring, news of the film being taken down emerged on August 16.
According to online sources, the animated film “The Coming of the Calf,” which gained unexpected popularity due to its rough production, is reportedly being taken down. On August 16, the topic labeled “Director’s Response to Calf Removal” dominated the trending charts for an extended period of time.
Screenshots circulating online showed director Xinyumeng responding on social media, expressing gratitude for the audience’s concern. He mentioned that the theatrical phase of “The Coming of the Calf” has officially ended, describing it as a complete creative practice. He indicated intentions to reflect and continue to strive for improvement.
Reported by New Yellow River, it was rumored that on August 17, “The Coming of the Calf” would be removed nationwide, with cinemas in Dalian already receiving notifications to take down the film.
On August 16, a journalist from the media contacted staff at the Xincheng Century Cinema in Jinan, Shandong to verify the situation. The staff mentioned they had not received any notice and the film was still playing normally. “Young people come to watch and take photos here. The atmosphere in the theater is lively. I randomly asked a few audience members after the screening, and they said it was very unique, relieved stress, and funny.”
Since August 15, the film has been gaining popularity for two consecutive days with the label of “the worst theatrical film in history.”
According to Lighthouse Professional Edition data, as of 6:32 pm on August 16, “The Coming of the Calf” has been in theaters for 12 days, with the daily box office reaching 4.856 million yuan, accumulating a total box office revenue exceeding 5.58 million yuan.
Just two days earlier on August 14, data from Maoyan showed that the animated film “The Coming of the Calf,” released on the 5th of this month, had a cumulative box office of only 7,711 yuan in 10 days, with over 200 viewers and less than 30 viewers per day, setting a new record low for box office performance among theatrical animated films in 2026.
As reported by Xiaoxiang Morning News on August 16, insiders revealed that “The Coming of the Calf” was created by only two main creators. It was a work by a mother born in the 1960s to fulfill her child’s dream. Produced by an ordinary family with no investment, the film was crafted over five years with no technological aid, and even the end credits song was sung by the director’s mother. Audience reviews criticized the modeling as not up to 2026 standards, the plot not something even AI could write, and noted typos in the subtitles, describing the experience as “torturous enough for once.”
“The Coming of the Calf,” produced by Dalian Jingyuan Cultural Film and Television Media Co., Ltd., has a runtime of 86 minutes and tells the story of a young calf named “The Coming of the Calf,” who meets a sparrow in the grass and takes it into his dream. In the dream, the sparrow witnesses the calf bravely facing danger and ultimately growing into a warrior.
Public information reveals that Xinyumeng, the director of “The Coming of the Calf,” also served as a producer, voice actor, and was deeply involved in the scriptwriting process, almost single-handedly overseeing multiple core production aspects such as directing, scriptwriting, voice acting, and production. The scriptwriter was Sun Lifang, with only these two as the core creators of the film.
According to the Qichacha app, the predecessor of the production company was a company primarily engaged in indoor and outdoor decoration engineering called “Dalian Jingyuan Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd.” It wasn’t until July 2021 that the company renamed itself and transitioned into the film and television industry with registered capital of 100,000 yuan. The annual report showed that only one person was insured, with Xinyumeng as the legal representative and Sun Lifang as the financial officer.