Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo’s epic gay drama “The Black Ball” (La Bola Negra) has ignited a multi-studio bidding war for domestic distribution rights following its Cannes premiere, TheWrap has learned.
A24 and Netflix are circling the Penélope Cruz Spanish competition pic. According to Variety, which first reported the news, MUBI is circling as well.
“La Bola Negra” is the third Spanish film to debut in competition this year in Cannes.
According to the Cannes film guide, “La Bola Negra” tells the interconnected stories of three men in three different eras. Three lives intimately linked by sexuality and desire, pain and inheritance, and one of Federico García Lorca´s last, unfinished works.
In his review of the film, TheWrap’s Zachary Lee wrote: “From the directing duo known as Los Javis’ rattling opening to its devastating coda, it’s one of those rare films that feels both old and new. It’s rife with ingenious and technical marvels and sequences that rank among cinema’s best while also telling a very classical story about honoring those who’ve come before us, making space for the stories of those we may never meet, and acting as a celebration of those who never gave up on their love even when it was punishable by death.
Along with Cruz, the film also stars Spanish musician Guitarricadelafuente alongside Miguel Bernardeau, Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close.
Goodfellas is handling international sales.
More to come…