MANNY’S MOVIE NEWS NOW: LA BOLA NEGRA MAKES HISTORY, STREET FIGHTER WINS BIG, AND STAR WARS GETS PUT ON ICE!
OCTOBER 19, 2026 | BY MANNY THE MOVIE GUY
Hollywood is making history, throwing punches, and putting a galaxy far, far away on ice!
Happy Monday, movie lovers!
We’re starting the week with a story that’s especially close to my heart. The extraordinary Spanish-language film La Bola Negra is making waves at the box office, and its success marks a historic moment for Netflix.
Meanwhile, video-game warriors are dominating theaters, a documentary about Elizabeth Holmes is delivering astonishing numbers, and one of Hollywood’s most intriguing filmmakers has some disappointing news for Star Warsfans.
Plus, I’ve got a little Orville Peck gossip that Street Fighter fans will absolutely love!
Coffee ready? Let’s talk movies!
🎬 LA BOLA NEGRA MAKES HISTORY — AND NETFLIX BREAKS A LONG-STANDING TRADITION!
FOUR THEATERS. $277,500. ONE HISTORIC WEEKEND!
La Bola Negra is making a powerful statement at the American box office.
The acclaimed Spanish-language drama from filmmakers Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi earned an estimated $277,500 from just four theaters in Los Angeles and New York.
That’s an astonishing average of $69,375 per theater.
According to Variety, that represents the second-highest opening per-screen average for a non-English-language film in U.S. box-office history, behind Parasite.
But there’s another historic development.
For the first time, Netflix publicly reported theatrical box-office grosses for one of its films.
The company has traditionally kept those figures private.
Could this signal a changing relationship between Netflix and movie theaters?
That’s certainly a possibility worth watching, although the company hasn’t announced a permanent change to its reporting practices. Variety
MANNY’S TAKE: I’ve seen La Bola Negra, and I absolutely love it.
It’s emotionally involving and emotionally resonant. The film stays with you long after the credits roll.
What makes it particularly powerful is the way it explores lives, loves, and histories that have too often been pushed into the shadows.
By the time you leave the theater, you’re not simply carrying the emotional weight of these characters. You’re grateful that their stories have finally been told.
And now audiences are responding!
La Bola Negra expands its theatrical release before arriving on Netflix on December 2.
By the way, I’ve seen La Bola Negra, and I absolutely LOVED it!
It’s emotionally involving, but more importantly, emotionally resonant. You leave the theater carrying the weight of these characters’ struggles, but also feeling something profoundly beautiful: their stories, once hidden and unheard, are finally being explored and shared with the world.
And that is the true power of cinema — giving a voice to those whose stories have waited far too long to be told.
Great performances from top to bottom! It’s the kind of film that stays with you long after the credits roll.
And here’s the exciting part: I’m interviewing the cast and filmmakers TODAY! Stay tuned for my exclusive conversations with stars Guitarricadelafuente and Miguel Bernardeau, and directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi.
🥊 STREET FIGHTER DELIVERS A BOX-OFFICE KNOCKOUT!
ROUND ONE! FIGHT!
Street Fighter is the new heavyweight champion of the weekend box office.
The video-game adaptation, directed by Kitao Sakurai, debuted at number one with an estimated $30 million to $31 million domestically.
Worldwide, the film has already collected approximately $51.1 million.
The cast includes Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Jason Momoa, and the fabulous Orville Peck as Vega.
However, the movie’s reported $82 million production budget means it still has considerable ground to cover before becoming a financial success.
And critics haven’t exactly been unanimous in their praise. Deadline
MANNY’S TAKE: I recently interviewed Orville Peck about transforming himself into Vega, and what a fascinating conversation!
We talked about his mask, the physical demands of playing a fighter, and his interpretation of Vega’s sexuality.
Orville even joked about the possibility of a steamy Vega spinoff.
Now THAT’S a movie I’d watch!
🍿 ELIZABETH HOLMES DOCUMENTARY BECOMES A $15 MILLION SURPRISE!
WHO SAYS DOCUMENTARIES CAN’T BE BLOCKBUSTERS?
While Street Fighter claimed the top spot, the weekend’s biggest surprise belonged to You Can See Everything.
The unconventional documentary about disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes earned an estimated $15 million from only 855 theaters.
That makes it the biggest documentary opening in more than two decades, according to Variety’s comparison with Fahrenheit 9/11.
Directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, the film combines investigative storytelling with an unconventional approach to documentary filmmaking.
The movie reportedly cost approximately $7 million to produce, making its opening especially impressive.
Even more fascinating? Its audience skewed young, with roughly 70% of opening-weekend moviegoers under 35. Variety Australia
MANNY’S TAKE: This is wonderful news for documentary filmmaking.
We often hear that audiences only want franchises, superheroes, and sequels.
Well, here’s a nearly three-hour documentary competing with major Hollywood releases!
Maybe audiences simply want compelling stories.
And sometimes, truth really is stranger than fiction.
🌌 TAIKA WAITITI’S STAR WARS MOVIE IS OFFICIALLY ON ICE!
NOT SO FAST, JEDI FANS!
Remember that Star Wars movie Taika Waititi was supposed to direct?
Well, don’t hold your breath.
The filmmaker has confirmed that his long-developing Star Wars project has been placed on hold.
Speaking to Inverse while promoting Klara and the Sun, Waititi revealed that he and screenwriter Tony McNamara are now concentrating on another project.
The Star Wars film was originally announced in 2020.
Six years later, there’s still no production schedule.
However, Waititi hasn’t completely ruled out returning to the project someday.
IMPORTANT: The film is on hold, not officially canceled. Variety Australia
MANNY’S TAKE: I was genuinely curious about what Taika would bring to the Star Wars universe.
After Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit, we know he has a wonderfully unusual imagination.
But maybe the Force simply isn’t with this project right now.
And sometimes, Hollywood’s best decision is knowing when not to make a movie.
🎭 JESSE EISENBERG SAYS BATMAN V SUPERMAN HURT HIS CAREER!
SOMETIMES EVEN SUPERHERO MOVIES HAVE CONSEQUENCES!
Jesse Eisenberg is opening up about the professional consequences of playing Lex Luthor in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
During a conversation at the BFI London Film Festival, Eisenberg said winning a Razzie Award for the performance affected his ability to secure major studio roles.
He explained that the experience helped push him toward writing and directing.
That career change eventually led to acclaimed projects including A Real Pain.
Eisenberg’s latest directorial effort, The Debut, starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, closed this year’s London Film Festival. Variety Australia
MANNY’S TAKE: Isn’t Hollywood fascinating?
One poorly received performance can change an actor’s career trajectory.
But in Eisenberg’s case, that setback also helped inspire an entirely different creative direction.
Sometimes the role you regret becomes the experience that teaches you what kind of artist you want to be.
💃 ORVILLE PECK REVEALS KYLIE MINOGUE ALMOST RETURNED TO STREET FIGHTER!
NOW THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN FABULOUS!
Here’s a little behind-the-scenes surprise!
According to a new report from Kotaku, Orville Peck revealed that Kylie Minogue nearly made a cameo appearance in the new Street Fighter movie.
Remember, Kylie played Cammy in the 1994 film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Peck, who is friends with the Australian superstar, told Queerty that he tried to help arrange her appearance.
Unfortunately, scheduling complications prevented it from happening.
But he hasn’t given up on the idea of getting Kylie together with the new Cammy, played by Mel Jarnson.
And apparently, he’s still hoping for a photo of the two actresses together. Kotaku
MANNY’S TAKE: Two Cammys in one picture?
YES, PLEASE!
And can we talk about how perfect it would have been to see Kylie Minogue return to the franchise more than three decades later?
That’s the kind of nostalgic cameo I absolutely adore.
🎥 SETH ROGEN HAS BIG PRAISE FOR THE DIRECTOR OF OBSESSION!
HORROR FANS, PAY ATTENTION!
Seth Rogen is already generating excitement for filmmaker Curry Barker’s next movie.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rogen has seen Barker’s upcoming Anything But Ghosts and believes it’s even better than Obsession.
That’s a pretty significant endorsement, considering the attention Obsession has received.
The new film remains one to watch as Barker continues establishing himself in Hollywood. The Hollywood Reporter
MANNY’S TAKE: I recently interviewed the cast of Obsession, which is my favorite horror movie of the year so far.
What I love about Barker’s filmmaking is his ability to transform familiar emotional experiences into something deeply unsettling.
If his next movie is even better, count me in!
🎬 THAT’S YOUR HOLLYWOOD ROUNDUP!
What a fascinating start to the week!
A Spanish-language drama makes history. A documentary challenges Hollywood’s biggest releases. A video-game adaptation rules the box office. And one filmmaker puts his journey to a galaxy far, far away on hold.
But for me, today’s most meaningful story is La Bola Negra.
Its success is a reminder that audiences are willing to embrace stories that are intimate, challenging, and deeply human.
And isn’t that what great cinema is supposed to do?
NOW I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Have you seen La Bola Negra? Are you planning to watch Street Fighter? And are you disappointed that Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie has been shelved?
Let’s talk movies!
For more exclusive celebrity interviews, original movie reviews, and the latest Hollywood headlines, visit MannyTheMovieGuy.com.
Hollywood moves fast. Manny moves faster!
I’m Manny the Movie Guy, and I’ll see you at the movies!
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