The TIFF People's Choice winner and Spain's official Oscar submission opens in U.S. theaters Oct. 16 before streaming Dec. 2 on Netflix.
Netflix just dropped the official trailer for its TIFF People's Choice winner La Bola Negra. The sweeping Spanish epic — directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, the duo known as "Los Javis" — capped a triumphant festival run that began at Cannes, where the film tied for Best Director and was nominated for the Palme d'Or.
Watch the new trailer below, and read on for everything to know about La Bola Negra.
The plot
Here's the official logline from Netflix: "La Bola Negra is a bold, passionate triptych spanning nearly a century of Spanish history from the '30s to modern day. The film tells the story of three men whose lives are intimately connected through desire, pain, and inheritance."
The film is inspired by an unfinished novel of the same name by Federico García Lorca, who wrote only four pages before being murdered in 1936, as well as the play La piedra oscura by co-writer Alberto Conejero.
Guitarricadelafuente as SebastiánCarla Oset/NetflixTheatrical and streaming datesLa Bola Negra opens in U.S. theaters Oct. 16 before streaming on Netflix Dec. 2. The film opened in Spain on Sept. 25, won the Audience Prize at the San Sebastián Film Festival, and arrives in France on Dec. 16.
The castAlong with Guitarricadelafuente, the film's ensemble includes Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Lola Dueñas, Julio Torres, Penélope Cruz, and Glenn Close.
Glenn Close and Carlos GonzálezCarla Oset/NetflixThe awards campaignThe film has soared in the early Gold Derby Oscar predictions, with a better than 88% chance of securing a Best Picture nomination.
Oscars Nominations 2027
Contender
Odds
1.

The Odyssey
90.2%
2.

La Bola Negra
88.4%
3.

Wild Horse Nine
88.2%
4.

The Debut
86.8%
5.

Project Hail Mary
83.4%
6.

Dune: Part Three
81.3%
7.

The Invite
80.4%
8.

Digger
53.3%
9.

Fjord
52.6%
10.

Obsession
46.7%
11.

All of a Sudden
38.9%
12.

Behemoth!
28.5%
13.

I Play Rocky
20.1%
14.

Being Heumann
17.6%
15.

Artificial
12.7%
16.

Michael
11.9%
17.

Club Kid
10.0%
18.

Elsinore
8.3%
19.

You Can See Everything
6.4%
20.

Possible Love
5.2%
21.

Ink
4.8%
22.

The Social Reckoning
3.8%
23.

Primetime
2.8%
24.

Fatherland
2.6%
25.

Josephine
2.4%
26.

The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth
2.2%
27.

Tender Loving Care
2.1%
28.

Sense and Sensibility
1.5%
29.

Paper Tiger
1.1%
30.

Werwulf
0.7%
31.

Wildwood
0.6%
32.

Minotaur
0.6%
33.

Backrooms
0.5%
34.

I Swear
0.5%
35.

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother
0.5%
36.

The Drama
0.5%
37.

Toy Story 5
0.5%
38.

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
0.5%
39.

The Devil Wears Prada 2
0.4%
40.

Tony
0.4%
41.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day
0.4%
42.

Misty Green
0.3%
43.

Pressure
0.3%
44.

Disclosure Day
0.3%
45.

The Sheep Detectives
0.2%
46.

Clarissa
0.2%
47.

Tuner
0.2%
48.

Long Day's Journey into Night
0.2%
49.

Wuthering Heights
0.2%
50.

Is God Is
0.2%
51.

Mother Mary
A24
Mother Mary
0.2%
52.

Whalefall
20th Century
Whalefall
0.1%
53.

Gail Daughtry
SPC
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass
0.1%
54.

PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 26: Stephanie Ahn attends the 29th Annual SAGindie Filmmakers Luncheon at Sundance at Cafe Terigo on January 26, 2026 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Fred Hayes/Getty Images for SAGindie)
Fred Hayes/Getty Images
Bedford Park
0.1%
55.

Prima Facie
Sony
Prima Facie
0.1%
56.

Ha-Chan
SPC
Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!
0.1%
57.

Ebenezer
Paramount
Ebenezer
0.1%
58.

Coward
Mubi
Coward
0.1%
59.

Wicker
Black Bear
Wicker
0.1%
60.

Gentle Monster
Netflix
Gentle Monster
0.1%
61.

The Weight
Vertical
The Weight
0.1%
62.

Late Fame
Magnolia
Late Fame
0.1%
63.

A Long Winter
MUBI
A Long Winter
0.1%
64.

The Unknown
Neon
The Unknown
0.1%
65.

The Only Living Pickpocket in New York
Sony Classics
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York
0.1%
66.

Rose
Mubi
Rose
0.1%
67.

I Love Boosters
Neon
I Love Boosters
--
68.

Madden
Amazon MGM
Madden
--
69.

Hope
Neon
Hope
--
70.

Klara and the Sun
Sony
Klara and the Sun
--
71.

Bunker
SPC; Searchlight
Bunker
--
72.

La Gradiva
1-2
La Gradiva
--
73.

Tenzing
Apple
Tenzing
--
74.

In the Hand of Dante
Netflix
In the Hand of Dante
--
75.

A Talent for Murder
Bleecker Street
A Talent for Murder
--
76.

Bitter Christmas
Warner Bros.
Bitter Christmas
--
77.

The Christophers
Neon
The Christophers
--
78.

Her Private Hell
Neon
Her Private Hell
--
79.

Never After Dark
Magnolia
Never After Dark
--
80.

The Get Out
Vertical
The Get Out
--
81.

Couture
Vertical
Couture
--
82.

The Liberation
Bleecker Street
The Liberation
--
83.

Glenrothan
Lionsgate
Glenrothan
--
84.

The Wizard of the Kremlin
Vertical
The Wizard of the Kremlin
--
85.

Verity
Amazon MGM
Verity
--
86.

The Uprising
Focus
The Uprising
--
87.

Forgotten Island
DreamWorks
Forgotten Island
--
88.

The Dog Stars
20th Century
The Dog Stars
--
The film also is tracking toward a Golden Globe nod for Best Film Drama.
Netflix is treating the film as a true ensemble with no lead. Guitarricadelafuente, Bernardeau, González, and Quifes will all compete in Supporting Actor. Cruz, Dueñas, and Close will compete in Supporting Actress.
Guitarricadelafuente is also in the Best Original Song conversation for "La Nieve." If he's nominated in both categories, he'd join a very short list of people nominated for acting and song for the same film: Mary J. Blige (Mudbound), Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born), Cynthia Erivo (Harriet), and Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night in Miami).
Premiere, Cannes reception, and TIFFLa Bola Negra had its world premiere in the main competition at the 79th Cannes Film Festival on May 21, drawing a standing ovation reported at between 16 and 20 minutes. "Ninety years ago, Federico García Lorca was killed by fascism because he was gay," the directors told the crowd. "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. May we all truly know that we are in the same fight."
Co-director Javier Ambrossi on the set Carla Oset/NetflixThe film then screened at TIFF as part of the festival's Special Presentations section, where Penélope Cruz received a Special Tribute Award at the TIFF Tribute Awards and the film took home the People's Choice Award.
La Bola Negra is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a critics score of 91%. Universal acclaim on Metacritic has resulted in a score of 87%.
Behind the camera
Co-director Javier CalvoCarla Oset/NetflixCalvo 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 Gutiérrez edited the film, with music by Raül Refree.
This post was originally published on June 24, was updated July 20 with news of the TIFF 26 premiere, updated Aug. 4 with theatrical and Netflix release dates, again Sept. 1 with the teaser trailer, on Sept. 24 with Oscar campaign categories, and on Sept. 28 with the official trailer.