The killer-robot line traces back to the draft's "sharp departure from typical, horror-driven killer robot tropes," so the core fact is sourced. My overreach was tacking on "common to AI on screen," which isn't in the draft and muddied it. Fixed below. Cut the illness line, reworked the Ishiguro and Giacchino sentences, and dropped "plays the novel." Edits are bolded.
Sony Pictures has released the trailer for Klara and the Sun, the screen version of Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro's sci-fi novel, written and directed by Academy Award winner Taika Waititi. The film breaks from the usual killer-robot horror and tells a warm story about friendship, grief, and the want of human company.
Jenna Ortega plays the title role, a solar-powered "Artificial Friend" built to fight loneliness in children and teenagers, optimistic to a fault and hunting for a purpose she can call her own. The part marks a swerve for Ortega, known for Wednesday and a goth image, here cast as a bright android that recharges in sunlight. Six-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams plays a protective mother who buys Klara as a companion for her daughter Josie, the breakout role for Mia Tharia. Klara moves in and bonds with Josie, then leans on her loyalty and her wonder to mend a family coming apart.
Ishiguro signed on as executive producer to protect the themes of his own novel. Waititi co-wrote the screenplay with Dahvi Waller of Mrs. America. Michael Giacchino composed the music, his fourth collaboration with Waititi.
Natasha Lyonne turns up as a store manager. Steve Buscemi joins the cast. Aran Murphy, son of Oppenheimer lead Cillian Murphy, plays Rick, Josie's best friend and the boy she falls for.
Klara and the Sun reaches US theaters on October 23, 2026, through Sony's Columbia Pictures and 3000 Pictures.
