Netflix Officially Removes Major Awards Contender From Over 100 Theaters



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Once again, Netflix appears to have chosen an international title as its best bet at the Oscars. The streamer has also had a change of heart about theatrical exhibition, with the Oscar contender becoming one of its first films to get a proper theatrical window ahead of its streaming debut. The film received a theatrical bow in European markets following a resounding premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it was instantly hailed as one of the year’s best. The movie never quite received a nationwide release, and is now on its way out of theaters for the time being. It isn’t uncommon for awards contenders to be re-plugged following the Oscar nominations.

Netflix first experienced Academy Awards success with Alfonso Cuarón‘s semi-autobiographical drama Roma, which was nominated for 10 Oscars in 2018, but was beaten in the Best Picture category by the controversial winner Green Book. More recently, the streamer seemed to have another winner on its hands with Emilia Pérez, which lost steam for wholly different reasons. Netflix still hasn’t won a Best Picture Oscar, having been beaten to the punch by Apple TV’s Coda.

The streamer has changed its strategy for awards in recent years, and is no longer investing heavily in passion projects helmed by legends such as Martin Scorsese and Guillermo del Toro. The streamer’s Spanish-language contender for 2026 was acquired out of Cannes. Directed by the Spanish filmmaker duo known as Los Javis, the movie follows three queer men across three time periods.































































Here’s How Much the Oscar-Contender Has Grossed at the Box Office

We’re talking, of course, about La Bola Negra. Produced on a reported budget of $15 million, the film has generated nearly $45 million at the box office internationally. La Bola Negra‘s domestic haul stands at $3 million after four weeks of release. The film opened in four locations and had witnessed a consistent increase in theater count until last week, when it was playing in 473 locations.

This week, the film was removed from 132 locations, and it is now left with 341 theaters nationwide. Featuring Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Penélope Cruz, and Glenn Close, La Bola Negra has received widespread acclaim. It now holds a “Certified Fresh” 86% critics’ score and a “Verified Hot” 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The aggregator website’s consensus reads, “An intergenerational epic bathed in striking imagery and vibrant music, La Bola Negra is a sensorial feast that movingly testifies to the perseverance of queer identity throughout history.”

The film will be released on Netflix on December 2, after a record 47-day theatrical window. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.


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Release Date

October 16, 2026

Runtime

155 minutes

Director

Javier Calvo, Javier Ambrossi

Writers

Javier Calvo, Javier Ambrossi, Alberto Conejero

Producers

Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo, Jorge Pezzi


Cast

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Guitarricadelafuente

    Sebastian

  • Cast Placeholder Image

  • Cast Placeholder Image

  • Cast Placeholder Image


https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/guitarricadelafuente-standing-on-statue-in-la-bola-negra.jpg?w=1600&h=900&fit=crop
https://collider.com/netflix-la-bola-negra-removed-from-100-theaters/


Rohan Naahar
Almontather Rassoul

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