Bardem and Cruz's son Leo makes film debut in La bola negra

According to Hola (30 September 2026), Leo Encinas Cruz, the eldest son of Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz, born in January 2011, makes his first film appearance in "La bola negra", the new feature from Los Javis (Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo). Infobae, writing the same day, gives his full name and describes the role: a short cameo with no lines, in a crowd scene where he stands next to his mother. Infobae also points out that he is listed in the official credits on IMDb, yet he skipped every premiere and red carpet, which explains why the news only surfaced now.

Hola adds a detail the other outlets leave out: this isn't quite Leo's first job in the industry. Earlier in 2026, he lent his voice to the Spanish dub of "Toy Story 5". The magazine also places his debut in the family tradition around his father: Bardem's mother Pilar Bardem, his great-grandparents Matilde Muñoz Sampedro and Rafael Bardem, his great-uncle, the director Juan Antonio Bardem, and Penélope Cruz's sister, Mónica Cruz.

The story is spreading because the film is packing cinemas. It opened in Spain on 25 September 2026 (Infobae), and The Objective reported on 28 September that it took 4.67 million euros over its first weekend. Infobae's box office piece from the same day puts attendance at 616,292 over three days, counting special previews, with about 1.3 million euros and 175,000 viewers on opening Friday across 414 screens, and takings rising each day of the weekend. Outlets rank the opening differently in Spanish box office history, so treat any "best ever" claim with care for now.

Leo isn't the only surprise on screen. Infobae, El HuffPost and EuropaFM also spot cameos from Alana S. Portero, Teo Lucadamo (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón's son), Guitarricadelafuente's mother, Los Javis' manager Custodio Pastor, the singer Judeline and the fashion designer Palomo Spain. Infobae adds that "La bola negra" is Spain's pick for the 2027 Oscars in the international feature category, so you'll likely keep hearing about it for months.

Sources : Hola, Infobae, The Objective, Google Trends.