‘La Bola Negra’ Sets Awards Categories: Guitarricadelafuente and Rest of Cast Will All Go Supporting (Exclusive)

La Bola Negra, Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo’s Spanish-language epic that Netflix acquired out of Cannes in May, was named Spain’s best international feature Oscar pick last week, and won Toronto’s audience award on Sunday, is beginning to look like a — perhaps the — primary challenger to The Odyssey in the best picture Oscar race. For that reason, many have been on the edge of their seat waiting to hear how the streamer would position the members of its ensemble cast — which is large enough to populate three different time periods in the film — for awards consideration, particularly the performer with the meatiest part, Guitarricadelafuente.

The Hollywood Reporter can exclusively report that the entire principal cast of La Bola Negra — Guitarricadelafuente, as well as fellow actors Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González and Milo Quifes, and actresses Penélope Cruz, Lola Dueñas and Glenn Close — will be promoted for recognition in their respective supporting categories. The rationale is that, on the basis of screen time and centrality to the plot, no individual is a clear lead over the others.

This approach has previously been employed by numerous other high-profile awards contenders, including four that went on to win the best picture Oscar: 2005’s Crash, 2015’s Spotlight, 2016’s Moonlight and 2019’s Parasite. All of those except Parasite also landed at least one individual supporting acting nomination, and all of those except Moonlight also won the best ensemble Actor Award.

Guitarricadelafuente is certainly the strongest prospect of La Bola Negra’s male performers. The 29-year-old Spanish pop star makes his acting debut in the film, which is set during the Spanish Civil War, as Sebastian, a reluctant Nationalist soldier tasked with guarding an injured Republican soldier — Rafael, played by Bernardeau — with whom he forms a special bond. (Guitarricadelafuente is also in the mix for a best original song Oscar nom for “La Nieve,” which he co-wrote and performs in the film. He could become only the fifth person to receive acting and song Oscar noms for the same film, after Mary J. Blige, Lady Gaga, Cynthia Erivo, and Leslie Odom Jr.)

Cruz, meanwhile, is the female performer likeliest to land a nom. Already the first Spanish actress ever to win an acting Oscar — best supporting actress for 2008’s Vicki Cristina Barcelona — she is back in the mix for her portrayal of Nene, a bawdy cabaret performer who entertains the Nationalist army during the war, even though she does not share their politics, and who has a brief but powerful interaction with Sebastian. (In recognition of her incredible 2026, during which she also gave memorable turns in Bunker and The Invite, she was recently recognized in Toronto with a special tribute award.)

In a sign of how much Netflix believes in both the commercial and awards prospects of La Bola Negra, the streamer will give the film the longest exclusive theatrical window of any release in its history (47 days, starting on Oct. 16), and will publicly report its box office receipts, something it has never done for any other release. La Bola Negra will also be the first Netflix film to open in AMC theaters, apart from stunt releases like a one-week-only exhibition of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.