Overview
- The Taika Waititi–directed Klara and the Sun opened to roughly $725,000 on 880 screens, a per‑screen average that industry coverage called unusually low for a wide release.
- Early critical response has been poor, with aggregated scores reported at low levels and reviewers arguing the movie’s whimsical, sentimental tone departs from the novel’s inward existentialism.
- Sony trimmed the film’s planned theatrical rollout before release, a move that limited box‑office exposure even as the roughly $20 million production budget reduces absolute financial risk.
- This result follows Waititi’s recent commercial disappointment with Next Goal Wins and has prompted discussion about his current bankability and the prospects for future studio projects.
- Industry watchers say the key things to watch next are home‑entertainment receipts and streaming deals that could recoup costs and studio decisions about greenlighting major projects for Waititi.