Netflix has given its Spanish-language epic *La Bola Negra* (*The Black Ball*) an unusually long 47-day exclusive US theatrical run, its most extended cinema release since *Marriage Story* in 2019. The move is designed to satisfy Academy eligibility rules, which require a film to run in commercial theatres for at least seven consecutive days in its country of origin before it can qualify for Oscar consideration. It underlines how seriously Netflix is pursuing awards recognition for the film, which won the Best Director prize at Cannes this year.

Directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, *La Bola Negra* will open in US cinemas on 16 October before arriving on Netflix worldwide on 2 December, giving it a two-month theatrical head start over its streaming debut. Netflix has previously used limited theatrical releases for awards contenders such as *Marriage Story*, *The Irishman* and *All Quiet on the Western Front*, but this marks the longest such window the streamer has granted a film to date.