Penélope Cruz, Glenn Close and some of Spain’s most exciting stars come together in the official trailer for La Bola Negra, the acclaimed new film from Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi.
© NetflixReleased on Monday, September 28, the new preview offers a deeper look at the ambitious drama, which spans nearly a century of Spanish history to tell the interconnected stories of three generations of men.
Their experiences unfold in different eras, but their lives are linked through desire, pain, love and the emotional inheritance passed from one generation to the next.
© Carla Oset/NetflixThe international ensemble includes Spanish music sensation Guitarricadelafuente in his feature acting debut, alongside 'Elite' star Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Lola Dueñas and Julio Torres. Penélope Cruz and eight-time Academy Award nominee Glenn Close complete the star-studded cast.
Known collectively as Los Javis, Calvo and Ambrossi directed and produced the film and co-wrote its screenplay with playwright Alberto Conejero.
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The story draws inspiration from Federico García Lorca’s unfinished work La bola negra and Conejero’s acclaimed play La piedra oscura. Although Lorca is not the central character, the poet’s life, legacy and absence are felt throughout the film.
Set partly against the upheaval of the Spanish Civil War, the expansive drama examines how queer men experienced love, repression and silence in different periods of Spanish history. It also considers how wounds that were never openly discussed can continue to shape families decades later.
© Carla Oset/NetflixFrom Cannes to Toronto:
The official trailer arrives as 'La Bola Negra' continues an extraordinary run on the international festival circuit.
Calvo and Ambrossi received the Best Director Award at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, sharing the honor with Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski for Fatherland.
© Stephane Cardinale - CorbisThe recognition marked a significant international achievement for the Spanish filmmakers behind Paquita Salas, Veneno and La Mesías.
The movie subsequently captured the prestigious People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Selected by festival audiences rather than a jury, the award has historically been considered a major indicator of future awards-season success.
© Cindy Ord'La Bola Negra' became the first non-English-language film to win Toronto’s top audience prize since the Lebanese drama Where Do We Go Now? in 2011.
Previous recipients of the award include eventual Best Picture Oscar winners 12 Years a Slave, Green Book and Nomadland. The Toronto victory adds to the growing awards buzz surrounding the Spanish-language epic and its filmmakers.
© NetflixWhen does ‘La Bola Negra’ open in theaters?
La Bola Negra opens theatrically on October 16 in Los Angeles and New York.
© NetflixDuring its opening weekend, the film will screen at AMC Century City and AMC Burbank in Los Angeles, as well as the Angelika Film Center and the Paris Theater in New York. Tickets are currently available through the film’s official website.
The movie is produced by Movistar Plus and Suma Content Films in co-production with El Deseo and Le Pacte.
