La Bola Negra becomes Spain's top-grossing local film of the year
La Bola Negra, Spain's official Oscar entry, is the country's highest-grossing local film this year, Deadline reports. It has earned about $43.4 million worldwide, the site says. The Guardian reports the film is driving new interest in the poet Federico García Lorca.
The film has taken $41 million in Spain this year, according to Rentrak data cited by Deadline. It passed the year's earlier top Spanish film, Torrente Presidente, a few weekends ago.
It has sold 5.5 million tickets in Spain, the most for any film this year, Deadline reports, citing distributor Elastica and Rentrak.
La Bola Negra has also entered Spain's all-time top 10, at No. 10 with 36.7 million euros, the site says. It is the third highest-grossing Spanish film ever there.
For the calendar year in Spain, it ranks third behind Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey, Deadline reports.
The film was written and directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, known as Los Javis, the site says. They won best director at Cannes for it.
Set across three timelines, the film is inspired by Lorca's life and work, The Guardian reports. It focuses on his relationship with Rafael Rodríguez Rapún and his unfinished play La Bola Negra.
A bookseller in the Guardian story says the film's popularity has led to more demand for books about Lorca.
The song La Nieve, written for the film by its star Guitarricadelafuente, reached the top 10 of the Spanish charts, The Guardian says.
Netflix bought the film's US rights for a reported $5 million, Deadline says. It has made $1.2 million in North America.
What we know: La Bola Negra is Spain's top-grossing local film this year.
What we don't: How it will fare in its wider release, including in France next month.
Where outlets agree Deadline and The Guardian report the box office success of La Bola Negra in Spain.
Where they differ A bookseller in The Guardian calls La Bola Negra Spain's highest-grossing film of the year, while Deadline, citing Rentrak, ranks it third overall this year and first among local films.