Netflix Enters Box Office Era With 'La Bola Negra' Release

· Entertainment · United States · Spain

Netflix is opening 'La Bola Negra', Spain's Oscar entry for Best International Feature, in theaters — a milestone that marks the streamer's entry into the box office era. The Cannes award-winner, directed by Spanish duo Los Javis and inspired by an unfinished Federico García Lorca play, stars Penélope Cruz. The same weekend, A24 debuts the Elizabeth Holmes documentary 'You Can See Everything' on 855 screens, roughly double the screen count of another competing documentary, 'Musk'. That film is tracking toward about $12 million, the second-best opening ever for a documentary. Paramount and Legendary's live-action 'Street Fighter' is also opening, coming in at the lower end of expectations with roughly $30 million from 3,575 theaters after a $12.5 million Friday including previews.

Why it matters：Netflix's move into theatrical releasing shifts the balance of power between streaming and cinemas, while the documentary box-office battle shows nonfiction titles can now open on hundreds of screens — a meaningful change for how films reach audiences.

Key points

  • Netflix's 'La Bola Negra', Spain's Oscar entry and a Cannes award-winner, is directed by Los Javis and stars Penélope Cruz.
  • A24's Elizabeth Holmes documentary 'You Can See Everything' expands to 855 screens, about double the screen count of 'Musk'.
  • 'Street Fighter' opens to roughly $30 million from 3,575 theaters after a $12.5 million Friday including previews.

Sources (original reporting)

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