Netflix<\/a> has won the U.S. rights to La Bola Negra<\/a><\/em> (The Black Ball<\/em>) after a competitive bidding war for one of the most talked-about films to come out of this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The sweeping Spanish queer epic, directed by Javier Calvo<\/a> and Javier Ambrossi<\/a> \u2014 the duo known as Los Javis \u2014 tied for Best Director at the 79th Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Palme d’Or.<\/p>\n The film drew a standing ovation reported at between 16 and 20 minutes<\/a> at its Cannes premiere and will open in U.S. theaters on Nov. 6, ahead of its Netflix debut on Dec. 4, with the streamer committed to a multi-week theatrical run and an awards campaign.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Read on for everything to know about La Bola Negra<\/em>.<\/p>\n Set across three timelines \u2014 1932, 1937, and 2017 \u2014 La Bola Negra<\/em> follows three gay men whose lives are connected through desire, pain, and inheritance. The film is inspired by an unfinished novel of the same name by Federico Garc\u00eda Lorca, who wrote only four pages before being murdered in 1936, as well as the play La piedra oscura<\/em> by co-writer Alberto Conejero.<\/p>\n The film stars Spanish music artist Guitarricadelafuente in his acting debut alongside Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos Gonz\u00e1lez, Milo Quifes, Lola Due\u00f1as, Julio Torres, Pen\u00e9lope Cruz<\/a>, and Glenn Close<\/a>.<\/p>\n La Bola Negra<\/em> had its world premiere in the main competition at the 79th Cannes Film Festival on May 21. After the applause died down, Los Javis addressed the crowd directly. “Ninety years ago, Federico Garc\u00eda Lorca was killed by fascism because he was gay. So, to everyone who thinks that we are gonna step back in our LGBT rights, we have bad news. Because we are here to stay,” they said. “May we all truly know that we are in the same fight.”<\/p>\n In a statement on the Netflix acquisition, the duo added: “When we began writing La Bola Negra<\/em>, we wanted to tell a story about freedom, legacy, and the importance of LGBTQ+ visibility. Above all, we wanted to honor the generations of people whose courage and sacrifice made our freedoms possible today.”<\/p>\n La Bola Negra<\/em> is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes<\/a> with a critics score of 88%. Universal acclaim on Metacritic<\/a> has resulted in a score of 85%. <\/p>\n La Bola Negra<\/em> will open in U.S. theaters on Nov. 6 with a Netflix streaming premiere to follow on Dec. 4. The film is already set for theatrical release in Spain on Sept. 25 and France on Dec. 16.<\/p>\n Calvo and Ambrossi co-wrote the screenplay with Conejero and produced alongside Jorge Pezzi. Spanish cinematographer Gris Jordana shot the film on 35mm using two Arricam LT cameras and Panavision Primo lenses. Alberto Guti\u00e9rrez edited the film, with music by Ra\u00fcl Refree.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"I](\"https:\/\/www.goldderby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IWFY_20250730_Milo-5_R1.jpg?w=300&h=168&crop=1\")
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The plot<\/h3>\n
The cast<\/h3>\n
Premiere and Cannes reception<\/h3>\n
![\"Director\/Co-Writer](\"https:\/\/www.goldderby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/LBN_JavierAmbrossi.jpg?w=650\")
Streaming and theatrical release<\/h3>\n
![\"'La](\"https:\/\/www.goldderby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/LBN_JavierCalvo.jpeg?w=650\")
Behind the camera<\/h3>\n