Amy Adams and Jenna Ortega Lead the First Trailer for Taika Waititi’s Klara and the Sun

The first trailer for Taika Waititi’s Klara and the Sun is out, giving audiences an emotional look at the upcoming adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s bestselling sci-fi novel. The film stars Jenna Ortega as Klara, an “Artificial Friend,” with Amy Adams playing the mother of a lonely girl named Josie. Sony has set the movie for a theatrical release on October 23, 2026 in the United States.

A first look at the story

The trailer introduces Klara as an older-model companion waiting in a store to be chosen. Her life changes when she meets Josie, played by Mia Tharia, and the two quickly form a bond. But Josie’s mother, played by Amy Adams, appears wary of Klara and makes it clear that if the robot fails, she can be returned and dismantled.

Sony’s official description says Klara is an “Artificial Friend” who wants nothing more than to find the perfect home. Once she meets Josie, the story unfolds around a family carrying grief and emotional strain, with Klara’s loyalty and innocence beginning to change their lives.

Release date and format

For anyone looking for the key detail, the release date for Klara and the Sun is October 23, 2026. Sony first confirmed the date during its CinemaCon 2026 presentation, and the film is being positioned as a theatrical release rather than a streaming debut.

Klara and the Sun Release Info

Amy Adams and Jenna Ortega at the center

Although the trailer naturally spotlights Ortega’s performance as Klara, Amy Adams also looks central to the film’s emotional conflict. The early footage frames Adams as a mother carrying visible hesitation and grief, while Ortega’s Klara seems to become a quiet force inside the household. That dynamic could end up being one of the movie’s biggest strengths.

The supporting cast includes Mia Tharia, Natasha Lyonne, Steve Buscemi, and Simon Baker, giving the adaptation a strong ensemble around its two main stars.

Main Cast

Taika Waititi’s next feature

This film marks Taika Waititi’s next major feature, and it also represents a notable shift for him into more overt sci-fi drama. TheWrap described it as his take on an acclaimed dystopian story, while Sony framed it as the tale of a robot questioning what makes a true home. That gives Klara and the Sun a more intimate, human angle than a conventional effects-heavy science-fiction release.

The adaptation is also one of the higher-profile screen treatments of Ishiguro’s work in recent years. The original novel follows a solar-powered Artificial Friend who becomes attached to a sick child in a future where children are largely educated from home and companionship itself has become commercialized.

Why the trailer is getting attention

The first footage stands out less for spectacle and more for mood. Instead of selling the movie as a big futuristic thriller, the trailer leans into loneliness, grief, and the uneasy bond between machine and family. That tone has already made the film one of the more closely watched prestige releases on Sony’s 2026 slate.

If the trailer is any indication, Klara and the Sun could be one of the year’s more thoughtful sci-fi dramas — and a major showcase for both Amy Adams and Jenna Ortega. With Taika Waititi directing and Sony already locking in an October 23, 2026 theatrical date, the film has now firmly entered the conversation as one of the notable fall releases to watch.

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