Taika Waititi's 'Klara and the Sun' Faces Box Office Uncertainty After Panning Reviews

Key points

• The film, a co-production by Sony Pictures, 3000 Pictures, and Spyglass Media Group, premiered at the London Film Festival on October 15, 2026, and is scheduled for US theatrical release on October 23, 2026.
• Variety critic Guy Lodge describes the film as a 'hopeless mismatch' of filmmaker and source material, criticizing Waititi’s 'strained, whimsical comedy' approach as ruinous to Ishiguro’s 'finespun, melancholic' novel.
• The film holds a 25% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 23 Metacritic score, with outlets like The Independent and The Guardian also issuing harsh reviews, calling it a 'schmaltzy misfire' and criticizing its sentimentality.
• Jenna Ortega stars as Klara, an artificial friend, alongside Amy Adams as the mother, Mia Tharia as the ailing teen Josie, and Natasha Lyonne as a store manager. The screenplay was written by Waititi and Dahvi Waller.
• The film’s PG-13 rating and 116-minute runtime are noted, but critics question its appeal, with Variety suggesting it is 'too juvenile for adults, and way too dull for children.'
• The film’s production credits include David Heyman and Garrett Basch as producers, with Michael Giacchino composing the score, which Variety criticizes as 'overbearingly precious.'

Background

The film had its world premiere at the 70th BFI London Film Festival on October 15, 2026, where it faced immediate critical backlash. Earlier coverage noted that the premiere event featured a star-studded red carpet, including Jenna Ortega, Amy Adams, and Florence Pugh, but the film’s reception was overwhelmingly negative. The Independent and The Guardian had already issued harsh reviews prior to the Variety review, with The Independent calling it a 'schmaltzy misfire' and The Guardian criticizing its sentimentality. The film’s Metacritic score of 23 and Rotten Tomatoes score of 25% reflect a consistent pattern of critical panning across multiple outlets.

How outlets are covering it

Variety’s Guy Lodge provides the most detailed critical analysis, focusing on the tonal mismatch between Waititi’s comedic style and Ishiguro’s melancholic novel. He compares the film unfavorably to Waititi’s earlier work 'Jojo Rabbit' and other sci-fi films like 'Ex Machina' and 'Her,' arguing that Waititi’s approach is 'ruinous' to the source material. Rotten Tomatoes aggregates the critical consensus, showing a 25% score, which aligns with the harsh reviews from The Independent and The Guardian. While Variety emphasizes the film’s artistic shortcomings, Rotten Tomatoes provides a quantitative measure of the critical consensus, confirming the widespread negative reception. No outlet offers a positive perspective, but Variety’s detailed critique provides the most substantive analysis of the film’s failures, while Rotten Tomatoes confirms the breadth of the critical backlash.

Why it matters

The film’s critical failure raises questions about the commercial viability of high-profile adaptations that clash tonally with their source material. With a 25% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 23 Metacritic score, 'Klara and the Sun' faces significant challenges in attracting audiences, especially given its PG-13 rating and 116-minute runtime. The film’s release on October 23, 2026, coincides with a competitive theatrical landscape, and its poor critical reception may impact its box office performance. Additionally, the film’s failure could affect the reputations of its key talent, including Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams, and may influence future adaptations of literary works by Kazuo Ishiguro. The film’s production by Sony Pictures and 3000 Pictures also raises questions about the financial risks associated with high-profile adaptations that fail to resonate with critics.

What to watch

The film is set for a wide theatrical release on October 23, 2026, in the US, with Sony Pictures handling distribution. Given the overwhelmingly negative critical reception, the film’s box office performance will be a key indicator of its commercial viability. Audiences may be deterred by the 25% Rotten Tomatoes score and 23 Metacritic score, but the film’s star-studded cast, including Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams, may attract some viewers. The film’s performance in the first weekend will likely determine whether it receives a wider release or is pulled from theaters. Additionally, the film’s critical failure may impact future projects involving Taika Waititi and Kazuo Ishiguro, and could influence the industry’s approach to adapting literary works with complex themes.