Netflix has released the first official teaser trailer for La Bola Negra (The Black Ball), the Spanish-language queer historical drama that became one of the most talked-about films at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The film, directed by Spanish filmmaking duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, known as Los Javis, won the Best Director award at Cannes and received a long-standing ovation. The new trailer gives audiences a look at the sweeping story that moves across three different time periods in Spanish history.
A Star-Studded Cast Across Generations
The film brings together an impressive international cast. Penélope Cruz plays Nené Romero, a cabaret singer performing for troops during the Spanish Civil War. Glenn Close takes on the role of Isabelle Durand, a historian who helps uncover buried truths in the modern-day storyline.
The cast also includes Spanish singer-songwriter Guitarricadelafuente in his acting debut as Sebastián, alongside Miguel Bernardeau (Elite) as Rafael, Carlos González as Alberto, Milo Quifes as Carlos, Lola Dueñas as Teresa, and Julio Torres as Juan Pablo. The film features an original song, “La Nieve,” written and performed by Guitarricadelafuente, with a score by Raül Refree.
Three Men, Three Eras, One Story
La Bola Negra threads together three interconnected stories set in 1932, 1937, and 2017. In 1932, Carlos (Milo Quifes) longs to belong in a fractured Spain but gets blackballed by his family’s casino because of his sexuality. In 1937, during the height of the Spanish Civil War, Sebastián (Guitarricadelafuente) finds connection across enemy lines. In 2017, Alberto (Carlos González) uncovers a long-buried family secret that finally gives voice to truths the past tried to erase.
The film draws inspiration from an unfinished play of the same name by Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca, who was assassinated in 1936. Los Javis co-wrote the screenplay with playwright Alberto Conejero, also drawing from Conejero’s play La Piedra Oscura (The Dark Stone).
“When we began writing La Bola Negra, we wanted to tell a story about freedom, legacy, and the importance of LGBTQ+ visibility,” say Calvo and Ambrossi. “Above all, we wanted to honor the generations of people whose courage and sacrifice made our freedoms possible today.”
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Cannes Triumph and Critical Acclaim
The film made its world premiere in competition at the 79th Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2026. It received a standing ovation that lasted between 16 and 20 minutes, with Penélope Cruz reportedly moved to tears by the response. Calvo and Ambrossi went on to share the Best Director award with Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski.
The film runs 155 minutes and has been praised for its classical staging, visual ambition, and exploration of queer identity across nearly a century of Spanish history. It continued its festival run at Telluride and will make its Canadian premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 15, where Penélope Cruz will receive a Special Tribute Award.
Theatrical Release and Streaming Details
La Bola Negra will first arrive in Spanish theaters on September 25, 2026. The film opens in U.S. theaters on October 16, 2026, followed by its streaming debut on Netflix in the U.S. and Canada on December 2, 2026. In the UK and Ireland, the film will be released in cinemas on November 6, 2026, courtesy of Altitude.
Netflix secured the U.S. distribution rights after a bidding war following the Cannes premiere. The theatrical window of 47 days marks the longest for a Netflix film, surpassing the previous record held by 2019’s Marriage Story. The film is a Movistar Plus+ Original Film in collaboration with Suma Content Films, produced by Telefónica Audiovisual Digital and Los Esquiadores AIE, with El Deseo and Le Pacte as co-producers.
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