According to BlockBeats, Chinese abstract animated film "Niu Lai" was fully removed from cinema schedules in Dalian, where the producer is based, starting Aug. 16. Local theaters said they had received notice that the film should be taken down because its poor quality could hurt the city’s image.
Dalian halted screenings, but most other cities have not
The film has not been withdrawn from cinemas across China. In most other cities, screenings were still going ahead on Aug. 16. Multiple theaters said they had not received any official notice to pull the movie, and ticketing platforms were still offering seats several days out, and in some cases up to a week ahead.
At the same time, screenshots circulating online claimed that cinemas nationwide would stop adding new screenings from Aug. 17, while already scheduled showings could continue. That claim has not been confirmed by officials or by most theater chains. For now, the film is still in active release.
Box office has moved into the 2026 domestic animation top 10
The movie’s box office rose from just several thousand yuan in its early run to several million yuan. Data from Dengta Pro shows that "Niu Lai" has entered the top 10 box office rankings for Chinese animated films in 2026. Its current box office stands at 4.648 million yuan, placing it behind the No. 9 film, "Shuke Beta Zhi Weisuo Renlei," which has recorded 6.732 million yuan.
Related meme coin on BNB Chain remains heavily traded
Separately, GMGN data shows the BNB Chain meme coin "Niu Lai" was still seeing active trading. Its 24-hour trading volume was $37.5 million, and its market capitalization stood at $16.4 million. The token was up 223% over the past 24 hours, though it had fallen nearly 45% from its intraday market cap high of $29 million.
BlockBeats reminded users that meme coins often lack practical use cases and can be highly volatile, and said investors should stay cautious.