La Bola Negra is Spain’s official selection for the Academy Awards

Lola Dueñas credits directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi with creating the ideal film to represent Spain at the upcoming Academy Awards, praising their unique collaborative process on the box-office hit La bola negra.

From Unfinished Lorca Work to Oscar Contender

La bola negra continues its path toward the Oscars as Spain’s official Academy selection, with preliminary nominations expected in December. The project adapts an unfinished work by Federico García Lorca. The film’s festival run includes stops at Cannes, San Sebastián, and Toronto. Lola Dueñas, one of the film’s actresses, praised the directors in an interview with EFE for shaping Lorca’s incomplete text into a narrative that resonates deeply with contemporary audiences.

Es la película perfecta para representar a España y tengo toda la esperanza en que vuelvan con él, Dueñas said, noting the emotional impact the film has on younger viewers. The actress noted that reaching twenty-somethings and encouraging them to reflect in theaters is a crucial achievement.

The narrative draws heavily from historical trauma, touching on the Spanish Civil War through personal family history. Dueñas connected the film’s themes to the experiences of her great-aunt, who was born in 1901. Her great-aunt’s husband was executed, and she was publicly shorn and paraded through villages simply for being married to a left-wing man, an injustice Dueñas recalled carrying with her throughout her life.

Creative Collaboration and Third Partnership with the Javis

The production marks the third time Dueñas has worked with Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, following roles in the 2020 series Veneno as reporter Faela Sainz and later as Montserrat Baró in La Mesías. Dueñas expressed complete trust in their working dynamic.

Seguiría rodando con ellos toda la vida. Tienen una manera de rodar muy especial, te dan toda la libertad del mundo y a la vez es mentira, te están dirigiendo así, con libertad, Dueñas told El Español. She added that the directors possess immense talent alongside genuine warmth and sharp intelligence, creating a uniquely positive environment on set where every crew and cast member gives maximum effort.

La Bola Negra Becomes Highest-Grossing Spanish Film of 2026

Commercial performance has matched the film’s critical trajectory. During the Fiesta del Cine held from October 19 to 22, 2026, La bola negra emerged as one of the most-watched titles during an event that drew over 1.5 million total ticket sales, marking the strongest attendance figures since 2019 according to data from Rentrak Spain.

The film has surpassed five million total spectators, overtaking Torrente presidente to become the highest-grossing Spanish film of 2026. Revenues are approaching the 30-million-euro threshold, placing the production within reach of eclipsing Ocho apellidos catalanes in the classification of the most-watched films in the country.

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