Netflix Buys 'The Black Ball' U.S. Rights After 20-Minute Cannes Ovation

7 articles · Updated · Hollywood Reporter · May 23

Netflix secured U.S. rights to Cannes competition title "The Black Ball," confirming a deal brokered by CAA Media Finance and Goodfellas after a competitive auction.
The Spanish-language film premiered Thursday to a thunderous standing ovation reported at 20 minutes, drawing bids from Netflix, A24 and Mubi and helping push the sale toward a reported $4 million-$5 million range.
Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close appear in supporting roles in the film, which marks Los Javis' first feature since 2017's "Holy Camp!"
Set across 1932, 1937 and 2017, the Federico García Lorca-linked story arrives at Cannes as a queer historical epic, with Elastica set to release it in Spain in October and Le Pacte handling France.

Will a Spanish film about queer history become a U.S. box office hit, or is its record-breaking deal just festival hype?

Can a film rooted in Spanish poet Lorca’s legacy truly resonate with a global audience unfamiliar with his work?

Does this record deal signal a real shift in Hollywood's embrace of foreign films, or is it simply a rare exception?