Netflix is already making a big statement with “La Bola Negra.”
The streamer announced Tuesday that it would be releasing the film, which it acquired at the Cannes Film Festival, in U.S. theaters on Oct. 16, but will not release it to streaming until Dec. 2. At more than 45 days, this is the longest theatrical exclusivity window in Netflix history.
The lengthy window shows confidence in the film, which the streamer surely hopes will make waves on the awards circuit after a buzzy bidding war at Cannes. Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (also known as Los Javis) won Best Director at the festival for “La Bola Negra.” The duo also served as producers and wrote the film alongside Alberto Conejero.
“A bold tapestry spanning nearly a century of Spanish history, ‘La Bola Negra’ tells the story of three generations of men whose lives are intimately connected through desire, pain and love,” a synopsis from Netflix reads.
TheWrap’s review of the film out of Cannes called it “a rousing testament to queer love’s timeless resilience” and said, in part, “[W]ith filmmakers Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi’s ‘La Bola Negra (The Black Ball),’ the past and present break free from the constraints of linearity, transforming into lovers who flirt and fight with each other. From the directing duo known as Los Javis’ rattling opening to its devastating coda, it’s one of those rare films that feels both old and new.”
While Netflix has given several films (particularly those on the awards hunt) theatrical exclusivity windows in the past, “La Bola Negra” marks the first time they’ve committed to a full 45 days before a streaming release. The streamer has promised a 49-day wide release (including on IMAX screens) to Greta Gerwig’s first “Narnia” film, “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew,” though that was delayed to Feb. 2027.
Netflix also announced Tuesday that it acquired distribution rights for “La Bola Negra” in Canada. The film will screen in the Special Presentations section at the Toronto International Film Festival, where Penélope Cruz, who stars in both “La Bola Negra” and Florian Zeller’s “Bunker,” will receive the TIFF Special Tribute Award.
“La Bola Negra” is led by Spanish musician Guitarricadelafuente, making his acting debut, and by Miguel Bernardeau. Joining them in the cast are Cruz, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Lola Duenas, Julio Torres and Glenn Close.
The film jumps in time from the days of the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s to 2017, and also includes sequences that dramatize characters from an unfinished play by Federico Garcia Lorca.
