La Bola Negra Becomes Third Highest-Grossing Spanish Film Ever

La Bola Negra has become the third highest-grossing Spanish film of all time at Spain's domestic box office, according to Variety. The film earned an estimated €36.7 million ($41.0 million) through Nov. 1, per Rentrak figures.

Only two Spanish productions have earned more in Spain: Ocho apellidos vascos, which took $61.8 million in 2014, and Lo imposible, which grossed $47.3 million in 2012. La Bola Negra, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi and starring Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close, has sold around 5.4 million tickets in the country and is Spain's biggest homegrown hit of 2026.

A strong year for the Spanish box office

Spanish box office revenue reached €489.4 million ($544.8 million) in the first 41 weeks of 2026 through Oct. 11, up 40% year-on-year and 8% above the comparable pre-pandemic average for 2017-2019. Through September, Spain's box office was up 35% year-on-year, against an 11% increase worldwide.

La Bola Negra, Torrente for President and Tadeo Jones and the Magic Lamp account for roughly 60% of Spanish films' box office this year. Seven films have crossed the $22.3 million mark in Spain in 2026, and more than 50 have grossed over $2.2 million.

Rentrak Spain general manager David Rodríguez said that before its release, La Bola Negra had all the ingredients to be a major hit. He also said that after 2020, one film would take everything and the rest got nothing in the Spanish market. Cinequest research found that 39.2% of respondents surveyed about La Bola Negra were under 35, versus 25.1% for dramas overall, and that women made up 62.1%.