Director Taika Waititi has confirmed that his new film, Klara And The Sun, starring Jenna Ortega, will be released later this year. He revealed at the Sundance Film Festival that the film is completed and discussions are ongoing with Sony regarding the timing and venue for its debut, potentially at a film festival.
The movie is an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 novel and centers on a robot girl designed to combat loneliness as she strives to help a grieving human family. The story explores themes around artificial intelligence and human emotion through this unique narrative.
Details About the Film’s Production and Cast
Filmed early in 2024 in New Zealand, Klara And The Sun features Jenna Ortega in the leading role, supported by Amy Adams, Steve Buscemi, Mia Tharia, Natasha Lyonne, and Simon Baker. The production was overseen by Garrett Basch and Elizabeth Gabler for Sony’s 3000 Pictures, alongside David Heyman representing the UK’s Heyday Films, with Waititi also serving as producer.
The movie has officially reached picture lock, indicating post-production is complete. Sony Pictures Releasing will handle its distribution in the United States, with further release details expected soon.
“Coming soon, this year for sure.”
— Taika Waititi, Director
“We’ve just been talking with Sony about when and where, we’re thinking about festivals and stuff like that,”
— Taika Waititi, Director
Context on Sundance Selection: The Film Fing
Alongside Waititi’s announcement, the Sundance world premiere highlighted the UK-Australasian collaboration in the film Fing, directed by Jeffrey Walker. Adapted from a children’s book by UK comedian David Walliams, Fing marks its first Australian filming, supported by AGC Studios for international sales.
The narrative follows two librarians who grant their daughter’s unusual wish for a rare creature called a Fing, resulting in an adventurous quest. Production teams from the UK’s King Bert Productions and Australia’s Story Bridge Films partnered on the project, with shooting conducted at Screen Queensland Studios in Brisbane last year.
“We were developing it with Sky in the UK; they suggested we speak to Todd’s company because they had such a good experience on The Portable Door [a 2023 fantasy adventure also directed by Walker],”
— Jo Sargent, Producer
“We had a great team who had worked in this level of world-building, and also in creating a UK set locale, but doing it all in Australia,”
— Todd Fellman, Producer
“It rolled into a similar financing plan and a lot of the same crew; it was great to have the benefit of a shorthand.”
— Todd Fellman, Producer
“One thing we got from Queensland was amazing locations that we would never get in the UK, so that was one of the reasons we went there,”
— Jo Sargent, Producer
“There were financial benefits as well, but in the end it’s about being creatively aligned.”
— Jo Sargent, Producer
“There are some very attractive benefits, from a producer offset, to the state incentives; also just on the ground a lot of support with equity from different facilities, and a lot of goodwill,”
— Todd Fellman, Producer
Additional Information on Fing’s Cast and Background
The film stars Iona Bell alongside Mia Wasikowska and Blake Harrison as her parents, with Penelope Wilton in the role of nanny. David Walliams appears as the headmaster, while Taika Waititi plays the villainous Viscount who seeks to capture the Fing. This marked Harrison’s return to Australian film since his work on The Inbetweeners 2 during 2013-2014.
Despite his association with the adaptation, David Walliams was absent from the Sundance premiere. Walliams faced controversy last year after being dropped by HarperCollins UK due to allegations of inappropriate behavior toward junior female staff, which he has denied. The film’s creators chose not to comment on the matter.
Significance of Klara And The Sun’s Upcoming Release
The anticipation around Klara And The Sun stems from its notable cast and the collaboration between prominent filmmakers and studios across New Zealand, the UK, and the US. Jenna Ortega’s pivotal role highlights the film’s focus on artificial intelligence intertwined with human experience. The movie’s release this year, potentially timed with film festivals, is expected to generate significant attention among audiences interested in sci-fi and literary adaptations.
With the film’s completion confirmed and Sony preparing distribution, this project marks another major milestone in Taika Waititi’s directorial career, promising a thought-provoking cinematic experience based on Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel.
