The Black Ball is now the third-highest-earning Spanish film ever. By 1 November, it made €36.7 million and brought 5.4 million people to cinemas. Only Eight Basque Surnames and The Impossible earned more.
Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi directed the film, and Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close star in it. Federico García Lorca gave them ideas for the story. The film is also on a list of possible choices to represent Spain at the 2027 Oscars. This could help it sell more tickets.
The drama attracted younger people than dramas usually do. Rentrak asked viewers about themselves: almost 40% were under 35, and more than 62% were women. Its success also helped independent companies: these businesses work on their own to bring films to cinemas.
Spanish cinemas made €489.4 million from tickets in the first 41 weeks of 2026, a rise of 40%. This was 8% above the average for the same weeks before the pandemic. From January to September, cinemas had 29% more visitors than in 2025. But visitor numbers were still 13% below the average for 2017–2019.
