Box Office Report: Netflix Reveals La Bola Negra Grosses as You Can See Everything Opens to $15 Million - High On Films

This weekend delivered two major developments for specialty cinema. Netflix reported box office numbers publicly for the first time, with its Spanish-language drama La Bola Negra opening to $277,500 across four theaters. Meanwhile, A24’s You Can See Everything, a documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, earned an estimated $15 million in its opening weekend.

The results highlight two different stories. Netflix is taking a more open approach to theatrical releases, while You Can See Everything is drawing audiences far beyond the usual market for documentaries.

Netflix Reports Box Office Numbers for La Bola Negra for the First Time

Netflix has traditionally kept its viewing figures behind closed doors, making its decision to publish theatrical grosses a notable change. The company shared the opening weekend numbers for La Bola Negra on Sunday, October 18.

The Spanish-language drama earned $277,500 across four theaters in New York and Los Angeles. That works out to an impressive average of $69,375 per screen. According to Screen Daily, Netflix said the film recorded the second-highest per-screen average ever for a non-English-language film and the highest for a Spanish film.

The limited release included the Paris Theater and Angelika in New York, along with AMC Century City and Burbank in Los Angeles. The company plans to expand the film into more markets before a wider release on November 6.

Directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, known together as Los Javis, La Bola Negra is based on an unfinished play by Spanish writer Federico García Lorca. The film follows the connected lives of three gay men across different periods. Its cast includes Glenn Close, Penélope Cruz, Milo Quifes and Carlos González.

The film won the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival and is Spain’s entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Netflix has given it a 45-day theatrical window, with streaming on the platform scheduled for December 2, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The opening is a promising start for Netflix’s theatrical strategy. It also gives the company a public box office benchmark as it prepares other major releases for cinemas.

You Can See Everything Box Office Opening Reaches $15 Million

While La Bola Negra marked a change for Netflix, You Can See Everything became the weekend’s other major specialty box office story.

The A24 documentary earned an estimated $15 million from 855 theaters, landing in second place at the North American box office behind Street Fighter. Its opening far exceeded expectations, which had placed its debut in the $7 million to $8 million range.

According to TheWrap, the film recorded the biggest opening weekend for a documentary since One Direction: This Is Us debuted with $15.8 million in 2013. It also ranks among the strongest openings for a film released on fewer than 1,000 screens.

Directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, You Can See Everything follows Holmes, the disgraced founder of blood-testing company Theranos, during the 34 days before she reported to prison in 2023. What begins as a look at her final weeks of freedom develops into a much larger documentary project spanning three years.

Holmes was convicted of fraud after Theranos misled investors about its blood-testing technology. The film offers an unusual look at her private life and relationship with her partner, Billy Evans, as she prepares to begin her prison sentence.

The film’s nearly three-hour runtime makes its strong opening even more notable. A24 also reported more than 2,000 sold-out screenings by Sunday morning, according to TheWrap.

What This Weekend Means for Specialty Box Office

The success of You Can See Everything shows that documentaries can still draw large audiences when a subject captures public attention. The Theranos scandal has remained a source of fascination, and the film gives viewers a new way to examine Holmes beyond the headlines.

For Netflix, La Bola Negra offers a different lesson. A limited theatrical run can build momentum for a film with festival recognition and awards ambitions. Its opening numbers give the streamer a strong start as it prepares to expand the release.

Neither result guarantees long-term success. La Bola Negra still needs to reach wider audiences, while You Can See Everything must maintain interest as it expands. But both films have already made this a notable weekend for specialty cinema.

Netflix’s decision to report its grosses is the bigger industry shift. The company has often prioritised streaming over theatrical box office, but its latest move suggests it is willing to engage more directly with the cinema market. Meanwhile, A24 has shown that a documentary can become a major theatrical event when the story connects with audiences.