This timeline focuses on dated events that can still be understood after the live conversation moves on. It separates regulatory records, release milestones, box-office snapshots, creator statements and distribution developments, and it avoids turning forecasts or unconfirmed plans into facts.
The National Film Administration publishes the screening-permit list
The public notice lists Niu Lai (牛来) under permit 电审动字〔2024〕第33号 and identifies Dalian Jingyuan Culture Film and Television Media Co., Ltd. as the first production company. The April date is the publication date of the notice, not necessarily the permit's issuance date.
The film opens theatrically in mainland China
Public film listings give the animated feature a runtime of 86 minutes. The release initially attracts very little audience attention.
The tiny early box-office total becomes part of the story
Reporting later carried by China News Service from The Paper, citing Maoyan Professional Edition, records only ¥7,705 across the first 10 days. That unusually low figure becomes widely discussed online.
Online curiosity begins translating into ticket sales
By 18:00, Maoyan data cited by The Paper showed cumulative box office above ¥360,000 and roughly ¥350,000 for the day, nearly 90 times the previous day's 3,900 yuan. The report also described cinemas adding screenings and multiple Niu Lai-related topics appearing on Weibo's hot-search list.
The film passes ¥5 million and the online phenomenon broadens
Dengta Professional Edition data cited by National Business Daily showed cumulative box office above ¥5 million. On the same date, the distributor told media that accounts claiming to be the film's official social-media presence were not official and that the film had not yet opened official accounts across those platforms at that time.
Cumulative box office crosses ¥10 million
Dengta data cited by Viewpoint put the film above ¥10 million at 11:06. By 14:55, Shanghai Securities News reported that Maoyan showed more than ¥12 million and a place inside August's box-office top ten.
International coverage expands
The Guardian reported more than ¥14.9 million according to Maoyan and framed the film as an unusual sleeper hit driven by online discussion and curiosity. The story was now reaching audiences well beyond Chinese-language social media.
The box office passes ¥18 million, then ¥20 million
HK01 reported more than ¥18 million by 13:00. Later that afternoon, Observer reported that Dengta Professional Edition showed the cumulative total passing ¥20 million at 16:35.
A pre-release director interview receives wider coverage
Observer published coverage of an interview recorded before release on August 2. In that interview, director Xin Yumeng said he had spent five years making the film himself and had not used AI elements. Because this is the director's own account, this site attributes those production claims to Xin rather than presenting them as independently audited facts.
Maoyan snapshot shows ¥23.826 million cumulative box office
Maoyan Professional Edition's public real-time ranking showed Niu Lai on its 15th day of release with ¥23.826 million cumulative box office at 09:20:07. The number is recorded here as a timestamped snapshot, not a final total.
Maoyan shows the cumulative total at roughly ¥28.73 million
During the site's August 20 review, Maoyan Professional Edition's public pages showed Niu Lai at about ¥28.73 million cumulative box office on its 16th day of release. The value is rounded because Maoyan refreshes continuously and public views captured minutes apart can differ slightly.
Maoyan snapshot reaches ¥32.847 million
Observer reported that Maoyan Professional Edition showed Niu Lai at ¥32.847 million cumulative box office at 08:00, on the film's 17th day of release. The figure is recorded as a dated snapshot rather than a final total.
Hong Kong screening interest reaches the “in talks” stage
Observer reported that, after Hong Kong users asked Broadway Cinematheque about showing Niu Lai, the cinema's official account replied “正在谈” (“in talks”). The report does not establish a confirmed Hong Kong release date, so this timeline records the discussion without presenting a screening as finalized.
Box office passes ¥40 million
Sina Finance reported that Dengta Professional Edition real-time data showed Niu Lai crossing ¥40 million at 23:16. The milestone came six days after the film first passed ¥5 million.
Maoyan snapshot shows ¥42.137 million
Maoyan Professional Edition's public ranking showed Niu Lai at ¥42.137 million cumulative box office on its 19th day of release.
Maoyan snapshot reaches ¥46.883 million
Maoyan Professional Edition's public dashboard showed Niu Lai at ¥46.883 million cumulative box office on its 20th day of release. Separately, a 21st Century Business Herald report said admissions had exceeded 1.5 million by August 24.
Creators say a new work titled Yang Gao is in preparation
21st Century Business Herald reported that the creators said they were preparing a new work titled Yang Gao (羊高). This timeline records that as a creator statement about a project in preparation; it does not treat the project as released or assign it a release date.
A communication scholar publishes a long-form analysis of the Niu Lai phenomenon
Lianhe Zaobao reported on August 28 that Beijing Normal University communication scholar Yu Guoming had published an approximately 14,000-character paper on August 24 examining Niu Lai through ideas including emotional resonance, algorithmic amplification and relational participation. This marks a shift from purely entertainment coverage toward formal analysis of the film as a social-media phenomenon.
Maoyan snapshot moves above ¥48.5 million
During this site's August 25 review, Maoyan Professional Edition's public dashboard showed Niu Lai at ¥48.544 million cumulative box office on its 21st day of release. The value is preserved as a timestamped historical observation, not a final total.
Box office crosses ¥50 million
JRJ Finance reported that Maoyan Professional Edition showed Niu Lai above ¥50 million at 10:47:31. A separate report citing Dengta Professional Edition recorded the same threshold at 11:32, providing cross-platform confirmation that the film had passed ¥50 million that morning.
Coverage increasingly treats Niu Lai as a cultural-consumption case study
Caixin published a commentary focused less on the novelty of the film’s initial breakout and more on what its success might say about audience participation, meaning-making and cultural consumption. The article described the realized box office as already above ¥50 million while treating later totals as forecasts rather than achieved revenue.
A secondary market report puts cumulative box office above ¥53.26 million
A Sohu film-market report published at 09:15 said Niu Lai, then on its 24th day of release, had passed ¥53.26 million in cumulative box office. Because the report is a secondary market source rather than a preserved direct professional-platform capture, this timeline labels the number accordingly.
The theatrical authorization is extended to October 4
The Beijing News reported, citing Dengta Professional Edition, that Niu Lai had reached ¥59.641 million and that its theatrical authorization had been extended through October 4, 2026. An extension allows cinemas to continue screening the film; it does not mean every cinema will schedule it for the entire period.
Source: The Beijing News / Dengta Professional Edition ↗China Film Box Office records the run just below ¥60 million
The public China Film Box Office dashboard displayed Niu Lai at ¥59.9492 million on its 28th day of release. The real-time dashboard indicates that its market figures include service fees. The number is preserved here as a timestamped observation, not as the film’s final total.
Source: China Film Box Office ↗Dengta records the film crossing ¥60 million
Sina Finance reported that Dengta Professional Edition real-time data showed Niu Lai passing ¥60 million at 20:42 on September 1. This provides a clear threshold-crossing event after the earlier same-day China Film Box Office snapshot had still been just below ¥60 million.
Source: Sina Finance / Dengta Professional Edition ↗China Film Box Office records a slower post-viral long tail
The public China Film Box Office dashboard displayed Niu Lai at ¥60.3164 million on its 31st day of release. The dashboard labels the real-time market data as including service fees. The relatively small increase from the September 1 threshold illustrates how sharply the box-office pace had cooled after the viral surge.
Source: China Film Box Office ↗The extended theatrical run continues at a slower pace
China Film Box Office displayed Niu Lai at ¥61.9146 million cumulative box office on day 34 of release. At the same 14:56:25 snapshot, the film had generated ¥20,100 in comprehensive box office for September 7 so far. The figure documents the slower long tail of the run after authorization was extended through October 4.
Source: China Film Box Office ↗China Film Box Office records day 35 of the extended run
The public China Film Box Office dashboard displayed Niu Lai at ¥61.9541 million cumulative box office. At the same 16:42:38 snapshot, the film had generated ¥18,700 in comprehensive box office for September 8 so far. The figure is preserved as a dated live-dashboard observation rather than a final theatrical total.
Source: China Film Box Office ↗Xin Yumeng announces a planned sequel, Niu Lai 2: Qihang
Lianhe Zaobao reported that director Xin Yumeng posted from the Weibo account “感恩的牛来” to introduce Niu Lai 2: Qihang (《牛来2：起航》) and said the sequel was planned for 2027. The report also noted that the referenced Weibo post was no longer visible by September 15, so this timeline records the announcement as a dated event rather than treating the deleted post as an active release listing.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao ↗Box office settles into a much slower late-run phase
Lianhe Zaobao reported a cumulative total of ¥63.041 million on September 15. The Beijing News reported the following day that Maoyan Professional Edition showed the film above ¥63 million as of September 15, while the film remained in its extended run through October 4.
Source: The Beijing News ↗China Film Box Office records day 49 of the theatrical run
The public China Film Box Office dashboard displayed Niu Lai at ¥63.4181 million cumulative box office. The same snapshot showed ¥1,700 in September 22 comprehensive box office so far. The figure is preserved as a dated live-dashboard observation rather than a final theatrical total.
Source: China Film Box Office ↗China Film Box Office records day 59, two days before the current extension endpoint
The public China Film Box Office dashboard displayed Niu Lai at ¥63.9899 million cumulative box office. At the same snapshot, October 2 comprehensive box office stood at ¥63,800 (¥6.38万), with a 0.13% schedule share. The film's latest published theatrical extension runs through October 4, so this entry documents the late-run position without treating it as a final total.
Source: China Film Box Office ↗How to read this timeline
The page distinguishes fixed historical milestones from live values, secondary snapshots and unconfirmed plans. A statement such as “Maoyan showed ¥48.544 million at 14:44:43 on August 25” remains historically meaningful after the total rises. The August 26 ¥50 million threshold and September 1 ¥60 million threshold are preserved as realized milestones. The September 22 ¥63.4181 million and October 2 ¥63.9899 million China Film Box Office figures are explicitly timestamped live-dashboard observations rather than final theatrical totals. The September 13 sequel announcement is likewise presented as a dated reported event because the referenced Weibo post was no longer visible by September 15.
Why this sequence matters
The sequence shows a clear separation between theatrical access and audience attention. Niu Lai had already been legally released nationwide, yet the first 10 days produced only a four-figure total. Once criticism, jokes and curiosity spread online, more people sought the film out and cinemas increased availability. The box-office acceleration then became another news hook, feeding still wider coverage.
Sources
Lists Niu Lai under permit 电审动字〔2024〕第33号 and names the first production company.
Records ¥7,705 over the first 10 days, more than ¥360,000 cumulative by 18:00 on August 15, cinema scheduling changes and the expansion of online discussion.
Records the distributor's August 16 statement that the accounts being circulated as official were not official and that no official social accounts had yet been opened at that time.
Cites Maoyan Professional Edition at 14:55 and notes the film had entered August's box-office top ten.
Reports more than ¥14.9 million according to Maoyan and documents how the film's online reputation became an international news story.
Reports Dengta's ¥20-million threshold at 16:35 on August 18 and attributes to Xin Yumeng his statements about five years of production and not using AI elements.
Used as the live-data reference for box-office checks. Dated reports and captured timestamps are preferred when preserving a historical value because the live page changes continuously.
Reports Maoyan Professional Edition's ¥32.847-million cumulative box-office snapshot at 08:00 and Broadway Cinematheque's response that a possible Hong Kong screening was “in talks.”
Records Dengta Professional Edition real-time data showing Niu Lai above ¥40 million at 23:16 on August 22.
Reports more than ¥46 million in cumulative box office, more than 1.5 million admissions, and the creators saying that a new work titled Yang Gao was in preparation.
Used for timestamped snapshots on August 23, August 24 and August 25. At 14:44:43 Beijing time on August 25, the dashboard showed Niu Lai at ¥48.544 million cumulative box office.
Records Maoyan Professional Edition above ¥50 million at 10:47:31 on August 26.
An interpretive article that treats the film as a case study in audience participation and cultural consumption. It states that realized box office had exceeded ¥50 million while keeping later projections distinct from achieved revenue.
Reports that Beijing Normal University scholar Yu Guoming published a roughly 14,000-character paper on August 24 analyzing the phenomenon through emotional resonance, algorithmic amplification and relational participation.
States that cumulative box office had passed ¥53.26 million at the time of the 09:15 publication on August 28. This site uses the figure only as a clearly labeled secondary snapshot.
Records Niu Lai at ¥63.9899 million at 22:21:06 Beijing time on day 59 of release, with ¥63,800 (¥6.38万) in October 2 comprehensive box office so far. The dashboard marks its real-time market data as including service fees.
Records Dengta Professional Edition real-time data showing Niu Lai crossing ¥60 million at 20:42 on September 1.
Reports the ¥59.641 million Dengta figure and the extension of theatrical authorization to October 4.