May 22, 2026 11:02am PT
‘La Bola Negra,’ With Penélope Cruz, Sparks Multi-Studio Bidding War After Massive 16-Minute Standing Ovation in Cannes (EXCLUSIVE)
After garnering a rapturous reception and a 16-minute standing ovation in Cannes, Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo’s “La Bola Negra” (“The Black Ball”) has sparked a multi-studio bidding war for U.S. rights. Among the bidders are A24, Mubi and Netflix.
Thursday night’s premiere marked the Cannes competition debut for the filmmaking duo known collectively as Los Javis, who have built an ardent international following with the series “Veneno” and “La Mesías.” Their film “The Black Ball” — a queer epic spanning 85 years of Spanish history and inspired by an unfinished fragment by Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca — is in contention for both the Palme d’Or and the Queer Palm.
