What Klara and the Sun is about
Klara isn't human. She's an Artificial Friend—a solar-powered android companion built to provide emotional support and connection to her owner. When she's purchased to care for a teenager named Josie in a near-future world where genetic enhancement and technology have reshaped what family means, Klara becomes something more than her programming intended. The film will follow her journey through a society fractured by class divides and technological isolation, where a robot's capacity for love might be the most human thing in the room.
What we know so far
According to Wikipedia, the film is directed by Taika Waititi, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Dahvi Waller. Jenna Ortega headlines as Klara, with Amy Adams playing Josie's mother. The supporting cast includes Natasha Lyonne, Steve Buscemi, Mia Tharia, and Aran Murphy. It's a production from 3000 Pictures, Heyday Films, Defender Films, Columbia Pictures, and TSG Entertainment—a constellation of studios backing what's positioned as a thoughtful, character-driven science fiction story.
The source material matters here. Ishiguro's 2021 novel won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and his work tends to linger—it doesn't shout. His stories burrow into you. Waititi, known for balancing irreverence with genuine emotional weight (think Thor: Ragnarok's humor masking real stakes), seems an intriguing fit for material that could easily tip into saccharine or bleak.
Why it's anticipated
What's striking is the pairing itself. Waititi doesn't typically make straight science fiction. His sensibility is askew, playful—and that's exactly what could prevent this from becoming another sterile "robot learns to feel" story. Ortega, fresh from her Addams Family turn, brings an uncanny quality that seems built for playing something not-quite-human. Amy Adams has spent years perfecting the art of the quietly devastated parent (Arrival, Nocturnal Animals). There's real talent here, and real intention.
Sony unveiled footage at CinemaCon 2026, describing it as a hopeful story about friendship and connection in an isolating world. Not dystopian collapse. Not techno-pessimism. Hope. That's a harder note to hit than despair—and it's rare in science fiction right now.
Release and where to watch
Klara and the Sun is scheduled for theatrical release on October 23, 2026. The film is not yet available to watch anywhere. Streaming availability hasn't been confirmed by the studios, but Movie OTT will track platform announcements as they're made. Check the Where-to-Watch widget on this page for updates as release windows are finalized.
Frequently asked questions
When is Klara and the Sun releasing?
The film is set for October 23, 2026, in the United States via Sony Pictures Releasing.
Is Klara and the Sun out yet?
No. It's currently in post-production and won't arrive until late 2026.
Who's in the cast?
Jenna Ortega plays Klara, the android protagonist. Amy Adams, Natasha Lyonne, Steve Buscemi, and Mia Tharia round out the ensemble. The film is directed by Taika Waititi.
Where will I be able to watch Klara and the Sun?
Streaming availability hasn't been announced yet. It'll debut theatrically first. Movie OTT will update this page as soon as platform rights are confirmed.
What's the film based on?
It's adapted from Kazuo Ishiguro's 2021 novel of the same name—a Nobel Prize-winning author's meditation on artificial intelligence, loneliness, and what it means to care for someone.
What to look forward to
There's something quietly radical about a major studio film centered on an android's inner life—her observations, her yearning, her helplessness in the face of human suffering. Don't expect explosions or AI uprising. Expect something stranger and more moving: a robot trying to save the world with what she's got. Waititi and Ishiguro together could make something that lingers long after the credits roll.
