Jenna Ortega plays a child again, but with a twist.
One day in the future, children might beg their parents for a robot companion instead of a pet, while walking past a ‘Robobarn’ in their local shopping centre as cars fly overhead and society slowly turns into a cybernetic hivemind.
That is just a fantasy for now. But Kazuo Ishiguro captured the dynamic companionship that children and robots could potentially share in the future through his 2021 sci-fi novel, Klara and the Sun.
Now, the bridge between reality and imagination feels a little closer. The first trailer for Taika Waititi’s film adaptation of the novel has just been unveiled, with the release date set for October 23, 2026.
The film will offer a quirky retelling of the story of Klara, a solar-powered robot companion, and her journey to save the life of a sick teenager named Josie, set against the backdrop of a dystopian sci-fi America.
Jenna Ortega takes on the lead role of Klara, with Mia Tharia playing Josie and Amy Adams portraying Josie’s mother.
Ortega’s casting feels like an effective against-type choice after playing multiple moody, kooky and bizarre characters in projects such as Wednesday and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Now, it will be exciting to see that same energy brought to a deeply existential story about the human condition and artificial consciousness.
Waititi will likely bring his trademark balance of offbeat humour and tear-jerking character moments, a combination that has become a staple of his filmography.
For fans of the book, the film has been a long time coming, with Sony first acquiring the screen rights in 2020.
Any concerns that the adaptation wouldn’t remain faithful to the source material were largely eased when it was revealed that Ishiguro himself would serve as an executive producer.
With the trailer now in the hands of loyal readers, it feels as though fans will get a faithful retelling of a beloved modern classic, finally giving it the mainstream exposure it deserves.
