Klara and the Sun Opens to $701K Across 880 Theaters
Sony's Taika Waititi adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel averaged under $800 per location in its domestic debut, according to Deadline.
Klara and the Sun opened domestically to $701K across 880 locations, a per-theater average under $800, according to Deadline. The Sony theatrical release is directed by Taika Waititi and stars Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams, with Mia Tharia playing Josie and Adams playing Chrissy.
The film adapts Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, which was long-listed for the 2021 Booker Prize. Waititi has said he discovered the novel in an airport bookstore, and Elizabeth Gabler, a Sony-based 3000 Pictures producer, championed the book in 2023.
The production's direct cost was listed at $44.3M, with a $4.4M contingency and anticipated New Zealand subsidies of $7.55M. Sony insiders put the movie's net cost at a high $20M before global P&A spend, with Spyglass and TSG covering 50% of the budget.
The Guardian reviewed the film out of the London Film Festival and called it a sentimental mess. The title sat for about two years before release amid reports that Sony was unsure how to release it.
Waititi's track record
Waititi directed Thor: Ragnarok in 2017, which earned $855.3M worldwide, the top-grossing Thor film, and he won an adapted screenplay Oscar for Jojo Rabbit in 2019. Thor: Love and Thunder grossed $760M in 2022. Elsewhere in the market, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has grossed close to $1.8B.
Quick answers
How much did Klara and the Sun make in its opening weekend?
It opened domestically to $701K across 880 locations, a per-theater average under $800.
Who directed Klara and the Sun?
Taika Waititi directed the Sony release, which stars Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams.
What is Klara and the Sun based on?
It is based on Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, which was long-listed for the 2021 Booker Prize.