Curtain Up: 'La Bola Negra' Shines As Netflix Shares Grosses In Historic First — Specialty Box Office
News Source
•Sun, 18 Oct 2026 16:46:26 +0000
📰 What Happened
Netflix has reported box office numbers for the first time. Its Spanish film La Bola Negra took $277,500 from four cinemas in New York and Los Angeles. That works out to about $69,400 per screen.
The film won the audience award at TIFF and best director at Cannes for Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi. It is Spain's entry for the international Oscar. Netflix will keep it in cinemas for 45 days before streaming.
🔍 The Backstory
La Bola Negra is based on an unfinished play by Federico Garcia Lorca. It follows the linked lives of three gay men across many years. Netflix usually keeps films in cinemas for a short time, or not at all.
The company is now trying longer cinema runs and sharing ticket sales. It plans wider releases for David Fincher's new film and Greta Gerwig's Narnia movie.
🎯 Why It Matters
Netflix films used to skip cinemas. If this works, more movies may reach big screens first, and ticket numbers become public.
Netflix has reported box office numbers for the first time. Its Spanish film La Bola Negra took $277,500 from four cinemas in New York and Los Angeles. That works out to about $69,400 per screen.
The film won the audience award at TIFF and best director at Cannes for Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi. It is Spain's entry for the international Oscar. Netflix will keep it in cinemas for 45 days before streaming.
La Bola Negra is based on an unfinished play by Federico Garcia Lorca. It follows the linked lives of three gay men across many years. Netflix usually keeps films in cinemas for a short time, or not at all.
The company is now trying longer cinema runs and sharing ticket sales. It plans wider releases for David Fincher's new film and Greta Gerwig's Narnia movie.
Netflix films used to skip cinemas. If this works, more movies may reach big screens first, and ticket numbers become public.