Taika Waititi has responded to the poor reception of Klara and the Sun by turning on the people who reviewed it. In an Instagram post, the director called critics “sad lost souls who couldn’t achieve their dreams”, as IGN reports, a week after the Sony Pictures film opened to weak reviews and a smaller-than-planned theatrical release.
The post pairs an emoji-heavy caption with an image of the film’s audience reception. Waititi wrote that he hasn’t read a review aimed at him or his peers in almost 15 years, but that he does “listen to the people”. Variety reports that the caption goes on to ask followers to spare a thought, this Halloween, for those who became critics instead of artists, “the same people who also hated Jojo Rabbit“. It ends with the line “Irrelevant. Out of touch. Obsolete. In the bin.”
The audience-versus-critics framing has some basis in the numbers. IGN lists the film at 26% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer against 74% from audiences, while its Metascore sits at 30 out of 100 after 27 reviews. IGN did not review the film. Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit comparison is a shakier fit: IGN notes that the 2019 film holds an 81% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, and IGN gave it 8.5/10.
The wider audience hasn’t turned up in numbers either. According to Box Office Mojo figures cited by IGN, the adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel has earned about $1.7 million worldwide after two weekends. Collider reports that the film was meant to open in nearly 2,000 US theatres but debuted with $725,000 after Sony pulled back its release plan. IGN, citing Collider, puts the final footprint at 800 theatres, while SlashFilm counts 880 screens. Deadline reported that Sony has stopped publishing box office figures for the film, whose budget is reportedly $20-40 million.
Sony describes the film as the story of Klara (Jenna Ortega), an “Artificial Friend” who forms a bond with Josie (Mia Tharia) and helps heal a family marked by loss, including Josie’s mother (Amy Adams). It’s another setback in a rough month for Waititi: IGN notes that he said earlier in October that his long-gestating Star Wars film was “on ice” after six years of trying to get it made. What’s next for Klara and the Sun hasn’t been announced.
What is Klara and the Sun about?
Sony’s official description follows Klara, an Artificial Friend played by Jenna Ortega, who wants to find the perfect home. She meets Josie (Mia Tharia), whose family, including her mother (Amy Adams), has suffered great loss, and Klara’s loyalty begins to heal them. It adapts Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel of the same name.
Did critics like Jojo Rabbit?
Mostly, yes. IGN reports that Jojo Rabbit holds an 81% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, with an A- from Entertainment Weekly and an 85 from The Wrap, though its IMDb score is a middling 58. It’s unclear which negative reaction Waititi meant.
Is Waititi still making a Star Wars film?
Not for now. IGN reports that he said earlier this month the project was “on ice” after six years of attempts to get it off the ground.
