| Bitter Christmas | |
|---|---|
| Spanish | Amarga Navidad |
| Directed by | Pedro Almodóvar |
| Produced by | Agustín Almodóvar[1] |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Pau Esteve Birba |
| Edited by | Teresa Font |
| Music by | Alberto Iglesias[1] |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
|
| Country | Spain |
| Language | Spanish |
Bitter Christmas (Spanish:Amarga Navidad) is an upcoming Spanishcomedy film directed byPedro Almodóvar. Its cast featuresBárbara Lennie,Victoria Luengo,Quim Gutiérrez,Leonardo Sbaraglia,Patrick Criado,Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, andMilena Smit.
The film will be theatrically released in Spain on 20 March 2026 byWarner Bros. Pictures.
After her mother dies in December, advertising director Elsa immerses herself in work to cope. When a panic attack forces her to take a break, she decides to travel toLanzarote with her friend Patricia while her partner Bonifacio stays inMadrid.[2]
In an interview toIndieWire published in October 2024, Almodóvar pitchedBitter Christmas as "a tragic comedy about gender".[6] In May 2025,Victoria Luengo andPatrick Criado were reported to have been cast.[7] Filming began on 9 June 2025,[8] withPau Esteve Birba serving as cinematographer.[9] Additional cast members includingBárbara Lennie,Quim Gutiérrez,Leonardo Sbaraglia,Milena Smit, andAitana Sánchez-Gijón were subsequently reported.[4] The film is anEl Deseo production and it had the collaboration ofMovistar Plus+.[4] Shooting wrapped on 12 August 2025 inLanzarote.[5] Shooting locations also includedMadrid.[5]Teresa Font took over film editing during post-production.[1]
Warner Bros. Pictures is scheduled to release the film in Spanish theatres on 30 March 2026.[10][11][12] It will later be released on streamerMovistar Plus+.[11]
Curzon acquired distribution rights for the United Kingdom and Ireland.[13] In August 2025,Sony Pictures Classics, Almodóvar's recurring North American distributor, acquired distribution rights to the film in that territory.[1]