Netflix clinched a deal for “La Bola Negra,” the Spanish queer epic by Los Javis, after a fierce bidding war erupted at the Cannes Film Festival following one of the most electric premieres in years.
The streaming giant acquired U.S. rights to the film in a transaction believed to be in the $5 million range, with CAA Media Finance and Goodfellas brokering the agreement. The sale marked the Cannes competition debut for the filmmaking duo known collectively as Los Javis — Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo — who earned a 16-minute standing ovation at their Thursday night premiere. A24, Neon and Mubi all circled the film for U.S. rights before Netflix prevailed.
The film spans 85 years of Spanish history and draws on an unfinished fragment by Federico García Lorca, tracing the interconnected lives of three gay men across 1932, 1937, and 2017 — braiding together stories of desire, loss, and what one generation passes on to the next. Its title references a mode of social rejection: a black ball cast into a voting urn to deny a young gay man entry into a Granada club. It is in contention for both the Palme d’Or and the Queer Palm.
The film is the duo’s first feature since their 2017 debut, “Holy Camp!”, and signals a significant leap in scale and ambition. One trade publication described it as “a dazzlingly assured film, delivering the heady satisfaction of seeing something ambitious actually land its nervy attempt.” The cast features Spanish singer-songwriter Guitarricadelafuente in his screen debut alongside Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes and Lola Dueñas, with Glenn Close in a supporting role and Penélope Cruz contributing an extended cameo.
“The Black Ball” is co-produced by Movistar Plus+, Los Javis’ Suma Content Films, Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar’s El Deseo and Le Pacte. The film is set for a theatrical release in Spain on October 2 via Elastica Films.
The sale marks the second major bidding war of this year’s festival; the first was Jordan Firstman’s “Club Kid,” which A24 acquired for $17 million. A24 would have been the most surprising of the three bidders to land the title, as the indie darling has not widely prioritized non-English-language films, while Mubi is more established in that arena.
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Netflix has clear incentives to back high-profile Spanish-language awards contenders. The streamer previously handled “Emilia Pérez,” which earned 13 Oscar nominations — the most ever for a non-English-language film — going on to win best supporting actress for Zoe Saldana and best original song. Netflix also distributed Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma,” which won three Oscars including best director.
Los Javis, whose television series “Veneno” and the Sundance-screened “La Mesías” made them the most influential creative duo currently working in Spain, have built an ardent international following. Ambrossi has called Spain’s current cinema moment “an incredible moment,” noting that the country sits just behind France in the number of Palme d’Or contenders across 2025 and 2026, with “La Bola Negra” joined in competition this year by Almodóvar’s “Bitter Christmas” and Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “The Beloved.”
