Taika Waititi’s Klara and the Sun has opened to just $725,000 from 880 cinemas in North America over the weekend of October 23-25, 2026, placing it around 15th at the box office.
The film, based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 novel, stars Jenna Ortega as Klara, an obsolete companion android who tries to bond with her new owner, a young sick girl named Josie. It was made for a reported modest budget of about $20 million, so the studio’s losses, while real, are not expected to be large.
Reviews were harsh: coverage of the opening described the film as panned, with some reviews calling it “calamitous” and “confoundingly awful,” and Sony scaled back its theatrical footprint. The weekend itself was led by Clayface at $24 million, followed by You Can See Everything at $19.5 million, Wildwood at $11.6 million and Street Fighter at $8.6 million.
For Waititi, whose previous work includes major commercial and critical hits, the opening is a rare commercial misfire, and the film’s future now rests largely on its life after cinemas rather than its theatrical run.
Read also: Clayface opens at No. 1 and Horror now claims 16% of the US box office
Bhudev Bhagaliya is an experienced and senior journalist who has carved a distinct niche for himself in the world of Hindi journalism through his profound understanding and precise writing style. With over two decades of experience in the field of journalism, he has held key responsibilities at Dainik Hindustan for 12 years and at Amar Ujala for one year. Currently, he serves as the Content Editor for the Jagrook Youth News newspaper and portal, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the news content. Bhudev Bhagaliya consistently writes about issues that help raise awareness within society and among the younger generation.