The first teaser trailer for the Spanish-directed Cannes favorite La Bola Negra makes its official debut, offering an early look at the sweeping drama that earned Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
The film spans nearly a century of Spanish history, following three generations of men bound by desire, pain and love, brought to life by an international cast that includes Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close.
Set to Vera Lynn’s “We’ll Meet Again,” the teaser moves through three moments in time: a small-town casino, the height of the Spanish Civil War and the present day. At its heart, the directors say, sits a single question: what people choose to do with their past, their inheritance, and the art, objects and traces that history leaves behind.
What the Story Is About
La Bola Negra threads together three men across pivotal years in Spanish history: 1932, 1937 and 2017. Carlos (Milo Quifes) longs to belong in a fractured country. Sebastián (Guitarricadelafuente) finds connection across enemy lines. And Alberto (Carlos González) uncovers a long-buried family secret that gives voice to truths the past tried to erase.
“When we began writing La Bola Negra, we wanted to tell a story about freedom, legacy and the importance of LGBTQ+ visibility,” say Calvo and Ambrossi. “Above all, we wanted to honor the generations of people whose courage and sacrifice made our freedoms possible today.”
The film borrows its name from an unfinished play by Federico García Lorca, the Spanish poet and playwright assassinated in 1936, and looks at his legacy through a modern lens.
Director duo Calvo and Ambrossi, known as “Los Javis,” co-wrote the screenplay with Alberto Conejero, drawing from Conejero’s play La piedra oscura, La bola negra and other Lorca texts.
Guitarricadelafuente as Sebastián in La Bola Negra.
Netflix/Carla Oset
An International Ensemble
To lead the cast, the directors zeroed in on Guitarricadelafuente, a Spanish singer-songwriter whose work and performances they had long admired. He makes his acting debut here. They also brought in a wealth of internationally renowned actors.
The full ensemble includes:
- Guitarricadelafuente (Spanish Leather) as Sebastián
- Miguel Bernardeau (Zorro, Elite) as Rafael Rodríguez Rapún
- Carlos González (Amar es para siempre, Veneno) as Alberto
- Milo Quifes as Carlos
- Lola Dueñas (La Mesías, The Sea Inside) as Teresa
- Julio Torres (Problemista, Los Espookys) as Juan Pablo
- Penélope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Invite) as Nené Romero
- Glenn Close (The Deliverance, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery) as Isabelle
The film also features an original song, “La Nieve,” performed and written by Guitarricadelafuente, with a score by Raül Refree.
Penélope Cruz as Nené in La Bola Negra.
Netflix/Carla Oset
From Cannes to a Global Release
After emerging as a critical favorite on the Croisette, La Bola Negra earned praise for its storytelling and exploration of memory, love and queer identity. The film continues its festival run at Telluride, and it will make its Canadian premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival’s Special Presentations section on Sept. 15, where Penélope Cruz will receive a Special Tribute Award at the TIFF Tribute Awards.
Netflix landed the U.S. rights following a competitive bidding war and also acquired the film in Canada.
La Bola Negra is a Movistar Plus+ Original Film in collaboration with Suma Content Films, produced by Telefónica Audiovisual Digital and Los Esquiadores AIE, and co-produced by El Deseo and Le Pacte, with the participation of Atresmedia and CREA SGR.
The film opens in U.S. theaters on Oct. 16, 2026, and arrives on Netflix on Dec. 2.
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