Taika Waititi Dismisses Critics as 'Obsolete' After 'Klara and the Sun' Box Office Collapse

Key points

• Waititi posted on Instagram, calling critics 'sad lost souls' who could not achieve their dreams of becoming artists.
• The film opened with approximately $725,000 in domestic revenue, ranking outside the top 10 in 880 theaters.
• Rotten Tomatoes shows a 28% critics score compared to a 78% audience score, highlighting a significant divide.
• Sony Pictures reduced the theatrical footprint and cut marketing budgets after negative reviews emerged from the London Film Festival.
• Jenna Ortega stated she does not read reviews to avoid psychological distress, aligning with Waititi's stance.

Background

Previous coverage noted that 'Klara and the Sun' faced severe criticism for tonal mismatches with Kazuo Ishiguro's novel. Earlier reports highlighted a 23 Metacritic score and concerns about commercial viability before the October 23, 2026, release. The film stars Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams in a dystopian setting involving an android companion.

How outlets are covering it

The Hollywood Reporter and Variety focus on Waititi's public defense, noting his 15-year hiatus from reading reviews and his comparison to the reception of 'Jojo Rabbit.' Slate criticizes the film for replacing the novel's existential depth with 'relentless whimsy' and 'saccharine' sentimentality, arguing the adaptation failed to commit to the source material's bleakness. Deadline provides a financial analysis, attributing the failure to poor marketing, a lack of 'FUBU' (for us, by us) appeal to Gen Z, and Sony's retreat from wide distribution. While The Hollywood Reporter and Variety emphasize the director's anger, Deadline and Slate focus on structural and artistic missteps, with Deadline noting that the film's direct cost was approximately $44.3 million, though Sony minimized exposure through co-funding.

Why it matters

The failure of 'Klara and the Sun' illustrates the volatility of the theatrical market, where critical consensus can override audience interest. It highlights the tension between auteur-driven adaptations and commercial expectations, particularly for films based on literary works that do not translate easily to cinema. The incident also underscores the growing divide between critical reception and audience scores, a trend that has impacted other recent releases.

What to watch

The film will likely continue to underperform in theaters, with Sony potentially shifting focus to streaming or ancillary revenue. Waititi may face scrutiny regarding his future projects, while Jenna Ortega's brand may be assessed for its ability to drive box office success. Industry observers will watch how studios handle similar critical-audience splits in future releases.