Taika Waititi is officially back in the director’s chair for what he describes as his “most dramatic work” yet. Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 novel of the same name, Jenna Ortega stars as an advanced robot hired by a mother to accompany her sick teenage daughter in a dystopian future. After the trailer was showcased at CinemaCon earlier this year, the first images of the upcoming sci-fi drama have now been officially released online.
Vanity Fair has shared the first look at Klara and the Sun, which is set to hit theaters on Oct. 23, 2026. The images reveal Jenna Ortega in the title role as the solar-powered android Klara, while Amy Adams and Mia Tharia also feature as Chrissie and Josie, respectively. Set in a dystopian world, the film is a meditative journey that will show a different side to all of those involved in the production, particularly Waititi. The Thor Ragnarok director is known for his eccentric filmmaking style and penchant for injecting comedy even in the most dire situations. However, Klara and the Sun is a major pivot for him.
Speaking with Vanity Fair, Waititi teased that “this one may even be my most dramatic film.” Even though he was initially inclined to make it “fill it with dumb f***ing robot humor,” he found out that approach didn’t work while writing the screenplay. Instead, Waititi decided that sticking closer to the “really amazing” source material allowed him to better explore the themes of “loneliness, love, humanity, and spirituality” from the book. The filmmaker called Klara and the Sun one of the most difficult adaptations he has ever done.
As mentioned, Klara and the Sun is a departure for almost all parties. When it comes to Jenna Ortega, known for her popular supernatural franchise, Wednesday, Waititi wanted to lean in on her real-life qualities, which are nothing like her Netflix counterpart. “She’s super charming and really fun and funny. I was really keen to see that version of her onscreen,” Waititi stated. Ortega herself does not believe the initial decision to join Klara was an intentional pivot from Wednesday, but did conclude that “maybe I did want a break from the angsty teen/young adult category I felt a bit stuck in sometimes.”
It’s been a long wait for Klara and the Sun, which began principal photography back in early 2024 in New Zealand. Waititi, who directed the film from a screenplay he co-wrote alongside Dahvi Waller, mentioned to Vanity Fair that he has been taking his time to find the right tone in the edit. This is especially important for the upcoming sci-fi drama, which is unlike anything he has released in the past decade.
“Sometimes I think you get caught up in, like, Oh, people want the same tone as this other thing from eight years ago. And it’s nice to not have to cater to that so much or cater to your own expectations of what you think you want to do.”
After years of anticipation, Klara and the Sun is officially set to hit theaters on Oct. 23, 2026.
Release Date
October 23, 2026
Writers
Dahvi Waller
Producers
David Heyman