Klara and the Sun trailer sets up Waititi’s more dramatic turn
Sony’s first trailer introduces Jenna Ortega as Klara, an artificial companion in Taika Waititi’s Kazuo Ishiguro adaptation.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Sony Pictures has released the first trailer for Klara and the Sun, Taika Waititi’s film adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel. Sony says the movie is scheduled to reach theaters on Oct. 23, 2026.
The film brings Waititi to material centered on family grief, artificial intelligence and companionship. In comments to Vanity Fair, Waititi said the project led him toward a different tone and what he called his most dramatic film.
Sony’s official synopsis says Jenna Ortega stars as Klara, an Artificial Friend who wants to be chosen for a home. Klara meets Josie, played by Mia Tharia, and the two recognize a connection while Josie and her mother are looking at artificial companions.
According to Sony, Josie has a strained relationship with her mother, played by Amy Adams, and the family has endured a major loss. The studio’s premise says Klara’s loyalty and innocent view of the world begin to help the family heal and bring comfort to Josie’s life.
The cast also includes Natasha Lyonne as the manager of an Artificial Friend store, Rachel House as the housekeeper Melania, Aran Murphy as Josie’s friend Rick and Sophia Bryant-Taukiri as Josie’s older sister Sal, according to Ars Technica. Steve Buscemi and Harry Greenwood also appear, though their roles have not been disclosed.
Ars Technica reported that the story, like Ishiguro’s book, takes place in an unnamed future and is narrated by Klara. Klara is solar-powered, giving her a special attachment to the sun as both a source of energy and, in the story’s terms, guidance.
The trailer shows Josie selecting Klara despite her being an older model, according to Ars Technica. Josie’s mother is doubtful at first but agrees to try Klara, helped by a 20 percent discount.
Ars Technica said the footage also shows Klara sensing that something is wrong after she joins the household. The store manager, played by Lyonne, instructs Klara to remember her training and hopes the family will come to care for her.
Waititi told Vanity Fair that he recognized the need to adjust his usual approach for Ishiguro’s story. “Sometimes I think you get caught up in, like, ‘Oh, people want the same tone as this other thing from eight years ago,’” he said, adding that it was useful not to serve either audience expectations or his own assumptions about what he should make.
Sony identifies the film as based on the bestselling novel by Ishiguro, a Nobel Prize winner, and written and directed by Waititi, an Academy Award winner. The trailer gives the first broad public look at how Waititi has shaped Ishiguro’s future-set story for the screen.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.