Taika Waititi Discusses AI Companionship in Klara and the Sun

Director Taika Waititi and novelist Kazuo Ishiguro have discussed the themes behind the film adaptation of Klara and the Sun, which stars Jenna Ortega as an artificial companion. The story concerns Klara, a solar-powered robot whose relationship with an ill teenager named Josie raises questions about friendship, love and grief. In a Guardian interview, Waititi considers how humour and emotional complexity shaped his interpretation of Ishiguro’s novel. The creators also reflect on the expectations people place on artificial beings and the different ways audiences respond to the film. The adaptation has prompted contrasting critical reactions, with some younger viewers particularly enthusiastic. Beyond its science fiction setting, the discussion explores whether an artificial friend can satisfy needs that human relationships struggle to meet.

The Guardian, Xan Brooks – ‘I’d consider replacing one of my children’: Taika Waititi on robot kids, his cheese-o-meter and Klara and the Sun – 22nd October 2026