Taika Waititi, once the darling of Hollywood after revitalizing the Thor franchise and winning an Oscar for Jojo Rabbit, is now facing one of the most spectacular box-office collapses in recent memory. His latest film, Klara and the Sun, has been officially pulled from cinemas after a disastrous run that saw it earn just $15 per theater in its final reported weekend.
The sci-fi drama, based on the acclaimed novel by Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro, starred Amy Adams and Jenna Ortega, but even that star power couldn't save it. The film opened to poor reviews and a tepid audience response, prompting Sony to cancel its planned wide release and global rollout. It eventually debuted in fewer than 900 theaters on October 23, a far cry from the typical blockbuster launch.
A Box-Office Catastrophe
According to box-office data, Klara and the Sun grossed just $701,000 in its opening weekend and a mere $157,000 in its second. By November 5, Sony had stopped reporting the film's daily grosses, a clear sign that the studio had given up on its theatrical prospects. The movie's total global haul now stands at less than $3 million against a reported budget of up to $44 million.
In its final reported day, the film earned just over $13,000, which translates to a per-theater average of $15. That's a staggering low for a major studio release, and it's a far cry from the success Waititi enjoyed with Jojo Rabbit, which grossed over $90 million worldwide on a $14 million budget.
Critical and Commercial Misfire
The film's poor performance is not just a commercial failure but also a critical one. Klara and the Sun currently holds a 26% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics panning its tone and execution. The site's consensus reads: "Flattening the nuanced ideas of its acclaimed source material with a tonally broad approach, Klara and the Sun aims to be endearing and inspiring but winds up cloying and twee."
In a rare move, Waititi took to Instagram to publicly criticize the negative reviews, but the damage was already done. The film's theatrical run has effectively ended, and it will now head to PVOD (premium video-on-demand) for those curious enough to check it out.
Waititi's Recent Struggles
This isn't Waititi's first box-office stumble. His previous film, Next Goal Wins, also underperformed, grossing just $18 million worldwide against a $14 million budget after being shelved for over a year. And while Thor: Love and Thunder was a commercial hit, it was widely seen as a step down from its predecessor, Thor: Ragnarok, both critically and financially.
The rapid decline of Waititi's box-office appeal is a cautionary tale in Hollywood, where creative freedom can sometimes lead to self-indulgence. As Klara and the Sun fades from theaters, it joins a growing list of high-profile flops that have struggled to find an audience. For comparison, other recent releases like Mahershala Ali's latest film and Netflix's The Mosquito Bowl have also seen significant theater losses, but none have been as dramatic as this.
While Waititi's fans may be disappointed, the film's failure is a reminder that even the most celebrated filmmakers can miss the mark. For now, Klara and the Sun will be remembered as one of the biggest box-office bombs of the year, and its quick exit from theaters is a testament to the harsh realities of the modern movie business.
Stay tuned for more updates on this story and other box-office news.
