Overview
- The film, released on Aug. 5, opened to almost no ticket sales and then saw viral clips and jokes spread on Weibo and Douyin that drove a sudden surge in attendance.
- Maoyan ticketing data shows the movie’s cumulative box office rose into the multi‑million yuan range with reports of a single‑day spike of about 8.2 million yuan and totals cited between roughly 14.9 million and 17.1 million yuan.
- Chinese reporting credits the production mainly to a two‑person mother‑and‑son team who reportedly handled writing, animation and voices over several years, a fact that has been widely circulated but not independently verified by international outlets.
- State‑owned outlets publicly criticized cinemas for screening the film and urged stronger gatekeeping, and some Chinese reports say screenings were withdrawn or the distributor took action though those withdrawal reports remain unconfirmed.
- Questions about the production company’s prior non‑film business registration and theories about possible subsidy or grift motives have circulated in commentary, but those claims are unproven and underdeveloped in reporting.