Netflix's La Bola Negra tops €25 million in Spain as Netflix reports US grosses
The Spanish-language drama has passed €25 million in Spain, and Netflix has published theatrical grosses for the first time. Both come before a Dec. 2 streaming date.
Netflix's Spanish-language drama La Bola Negra has passed €25 million ($27.9 million) at the Spanish box office after its third weekend in cinemas, Netflix Junkie reported, citing Screen Daily. The film's distributor, Elastica Films, reported the third-weekend gross.
Netflix has also published theatrical grosses for the first time. It reported that the film earned $277,500 from four US theatres in its opening weekend, which began Oct. 16. The Numbers lists $277,619 for that weekend. The film starts streaming on Dec. 2.
What the Spanish numbers show
La Bola Negra opened in Spain on Sept. 25. Netflix Junkie, citing Screen Daily, reported that it had reached €25 million after its third weekend, making it the seventh-highest-grossing Spanish film of all time.
Netflix Junkie reported that distributor Elastica Films put the third-weekend gross at about €4.96 million, above the opening weekend. It also reported that the film grew from 415 cinemas at launch to 455. The Numbers gives 408 opening screens and a maximum of 453.
The Numbers, a box-office tracker, lists about $33.6 million for Spain as of its Oct. 22 report.
Netflix's first published US grosses
Netflix published the US figures through Tudum, according to Netflix Junkie. The film earned $277,500 from four theatres in New York and Los Angeles, a $69,375 average per screen. The Numbers lists $277,619 for the opening weekend, or $69,405 per theater.
The Numbers lists a US total of $650,104 through the weekend of Oct. 23.
Netflix had not previously reported grosses for theatrical releases such as Roma, The Irishman and Glass Onion, according to TheWrap. Variety first reported that the company would start publishing figures for a handful of films this fall.
TheWrap said other films getting prominent releases include David Fincher's The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, which will get a two-week IMAX-only release at Thanksgiving, and Greta Gerwig's Narnia: The Magician's Nephew, due in February 2027.
The window before streaming
The film reaches Netflix on Dec. 2, which is 47 days after its Oct. 16 US opening. Sources give the length slightly differently. Dark Horizons, citing Variety in September, reported 46 days. TheWrap and Netflix Junkie say 47.
TheWrap described the window as the longest Netflix has given any of its films. Dark Horizons reported that six upcoming Netflix films would get box-office reports, and said Charlie vs. The Chocolate Factory has a 47-day run, with Narnia at 50.
TheWrap said Netflix expects to release only a few films in theatres each year, far fewer than the 15 or more from other major studios. It linked the policy shift to a thaw between Netflix and theatre owners, including Ted Sarandos's meetings with exhibitors at CinemaCon in April.
“Netflix had not previously reported grosses for theatrical releases such as Roma, The Irishman and Glass Onion.”
What it means for the business
For international distributors and exhibitors, the figures show a Netflix-owned title taking most of its early revenue from one local market. The Numbers shows Spain accounting for nearly all of the film's international gross, with small totals from Australia and New Zealand.
The film was shot on 35mm, and co-director Javier Ambrossi told Variety that this meant audiences could see it as intended, as quoted by Netflix Junkie.
For exhibitors in other markets, the film's reported UK release date is Nov. 6, according to The Numbers.
What happens next
Netflix Junkie reported that the US run is limited and could expand if demand supports it. The streaming debut is set for Dec. 2 in the US and Canada.
Netflix Junkie reported that Netflix plans to report box office results for upcoming titles including Cliff Booth.
