
The acclaimed Spanish-language drama La Bola Negra is expanding its theatrical release this weekend and will be Netflix’s widest theatrical release to date. The film is expanding to over 465 domestic theaters starting this weekend, after Netflix previously projected a release of only 200 to 300 theaters.
This expansion comes after La Bola Negra already exceeded expectations in its limited theatrical release. The film grossed $418,000 in only 38 North American theaters, with an average of $69,375 per screen in four theaters, which is the second-highest for a non-English-language release behind 2019’s Parasite. The film has also done extremely well in its native country of Spain, reaching #3 in the country’s all-time box office for a Spanish-language film and landing among the country’s top ten highest-grossing films.
La Bola Negra is a historical epic spanning 3 decades, following three characters living decades apart as they explore their queer identities in their respective time periods. The film is directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, who also co-wrote the script alongside Alberto Conejero. The film stars Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Penélope Cruz, Glenn Close, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, and Lola Dueñas.
The film has received critical acclaim since premiering at the Cannes International Film Festival earlier this year. It has already won multiple awards on its festival run, including the Audience Award at the London Film Festival and similar awards at the Toronto International Film Festival and the San Sebastián International Film Festival. The film is also Spain’s official entry for the Best International Feature category at the Oscars. It is also being considered a major Oscar contender in multiple other categories, including Best Picture.

