Taika Waititi Debuts Adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro Novel Klara and the Sun

Director Taika Waititi has debuted his film adaptation of Klara and the Sun in New York City, according to The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline. The project stars Jenna Ortega as a robotic Artificial Friend and features Amy Adams as the mother of the child who purchases her. The Hollywood Reporter noted that Ortega, Waititi, and Adams brought the film to New York City on Monday. [1][2]

The feature follows Klara as she waits in a store alcove for a buyer to claim her before being selected by a child named Josie, played by Mia Tharia, Deadline reported. Her mother, played by Adams, expresses reluctance to buy an older model of the product while newer models are available. Deadline and NME also noted that the movie soundtrack incorporates piano concertos, tracks by the band Violent Femmes, and several songs played on records in Josie's room. [1][3]

The film is based on the dystopian science fiction novel of the same name by Japanese-British author Kazuo Ishiguro, which was published in March 2021. The original book was longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize and is set in a future vision of the United States. The American folk punk band Violent Femmes, whose music appears in the film, was originally founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. [5][6]

The premiere comes amidst a busy week of film debuts in the United States. The Hollywood Reporter reported that other recent events included screenings for the films Wicker in Los Angeles, alongside the debuts of Wildwood and The Mosquito Bowl at AFI Fest. [2]