Waititi Hits Back at Critics After Klara and the Sun Flops
WHO:
The Guardian - Taika Waititi, an Oscar-winning director, directed *Klara and the Sun*, an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel.
The Independent - Jenna Ortega stars as Klara, an “Artificial Friend”; Mia Tharia plays Josie, the teenager who buys her.
The Guardian - Critics quoted on the film include Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian, Wendy Ide of the Observer, and Tim Grierson of the Los Angeles Times.
The Independent - Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent gave the film two stars; Tim Robey of The Telegraph called it potentially “the most infantile film of the year”.
The Independent - Waititi played an imaginary Adolf Hitler in his 2019 film *Jojo Rabbit*, which won him the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay.
WHAT:
The Guardian - Taika Waititi said critics who disliked *Jojo Rabbit* were among those he called “sad lost souls,” adding: “The same people who also hated Jojo Rabbit.”
The Guardian - *Klara and the Sun* opened below *Wicker*, which earned $5.7 million in North America from 1,471 venues, averaging $3,906 per cinema.
The Guardian - The documentary *You Can See Everything* earned $18.7 million in its second weekend and reached a cumulative $63.8 million.
The Guardian - Peter Bradshaw gave *Klara and the Sun* a one-star review, calling it “unbearably mannered” and “unspeakably acted.” Wendy Ide called it “a thin and cloying thing,” while Tim Grierson said it was “stultifying before it becomes downright exasperating.”
The Independent - *Jojo Rabbit* had an 81% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and faced questions about using humour and satire to address Nazism.
The Guardian - Waititi criticized reviewers on social media, calling them “sad lost souls” who “couldn’t achieve [their] dreams of becoming artists” and “settled, and became critics.” He added: “Irrelevant. Out of touch. Obsolete. In the bin.”
The Independent - Waititi said he had not read reviews aimed at him or his peers “in almost 15 years,” adding: “But I do listen to the people.”
The Guardian - Rotten Tomatoes scores were 74% from audiences and 26% from 90 critics’ reviews; The Independent reported a 78% audience score and 26% critics’ score.
The Guardian - The film earned $701,000 in its North American opening weekend from 880 venues, averaging just under $800 per theatre; it ranked 16th. The Independent reported opening-weekend earnings of $701,059.
The Guardian - Its second North American weekend brought in $145,000, down 79% from a similar number of venues. The Independent reported approximately $1.74 million worldwide.
The Guardian - The film opened in the UK with £176,000 from 368 venues, averaging £477 per venue.
The Independent - Sony reduced its planned US cinema release from around 1,900 theatres to 880 after early reviews appeared. Spain’s planned theatrical release was cancelled, according to Hobby Consolas.
The Independent - *Klara and the Sun* depicts a dystopian future in which androids are sold as human companions. Klara becomes devoted to Josie, whose health deteriorates after a controversial genetic enhancement procedure.
The Independent - Waititi said he wanted to bring his usual tone to the adaptation without changing the book’s overall tone, which he described as beautiful and a “slow burn.”
WHERE:
The Guardian - Box-office figures cited cover North America and the UK.
The Independent - The film premiered at the BFI London Film Festival and had a planned theatrical release in Spain.
WHY:
The Independent - Waititi’s social-media post highlighted the contrast between critics’ and audiences’ Rotten Tomatoes scores.
The Independent - Hobby Consolas reported that Spain’s release was cancelled following poor box-office performance and negative reviews.
HOW:
The Guardian - The film reportedly cost $44 million (£32.8 million) to make.
The Independent - The film was reportedly made on a $20 million budget.
(UPDATED November 2, 2026 15:00 UTC)
Taika Waititi lashed out at critics after his film *Klara and the Sun* opened poorly. The adaptation earned just $701,000 in North America, despite starring Jenna Ortega. Waititi contrasted critics’ 26% score with audiences’ more favorable ratings.
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(UPDATED November 2, 2026 13:59 UTC)
Taika Waititi lashed out at critics after his film *Klara and the Sun* received poor reviews. The adaptation stars Jenna Ortega, and critics gave it 26 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. It opened weakly in North America, earning about $701,000, while audiences rated it higher.