Netflix reports box office earnings for 'La Bola Negra' in limited theatrical run

Netflix disclosed that its awards-contender "La Bola Negra" generated $277,500 in ticket sales from four theaters, averaging $69,375 per location. The per-screen average is the second-highest ever recorded for a non-English language film, trailing only the 2019 release "Parasite," which opened to $393,216 from three theaters. The figure also sets a record for the highest per-screen average for a Spanish-language title.

The streamer plans to keep the film in cinemas for a 45-day window, its longest theatrical rollout to date, before the title becomes available on Netflix on Dec. 2. Directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, known as Los Javis, the film follows three interconnected men and has earned accolades at Cannes and the Toronto Film Festival.

"Outmoded idea," co-CEO Ted Sarandos previously described theaters, reflecting Netflix's historically limited focus on theatrical revenue.

Netflix has previously used limited releases for titles such as "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story" and a re-release of "K-pop Demon Hunters," but had not disclosed box-office results. The company says reporting grosses provides a standardized metric that complements streaming data.

The announcement comes as Netflix announced a restructuring that included laying off 1,000 staff and appointing Peter Rice, formerly of Disney, as chief content officer. The streamer said it will report box-office numbers for upcoming releases, including David Fincher’s "The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth" and projects by Greta Gerwig and Taika Waititi.