Jenna Ortega and Taika Waititi Discuss Klara and the Sun and the Limits of AI

On October 23, the dystopian science fiction film Klara and the Sun arrives in theaters, starring Jenna Ortega as an optimistic, solar-powered Artificial Friend named Klara who forms an inseparable bond with a chronically ill teenager named Josie.

From Page to Screen Under Waititi’s Direction

Based on the 2021 novel by Nobel Prize-winner Kazuo Ishiguro, the film is directed by Taika Waititi. latimes.com reported that the story places Ortega’s character alongside Josie, played by Mia Tharia, despite the sharp disapproval of Josie’s mother Chrissie, played by Amy Adams. extratv.com noted that Adams described her character as a mother living in constant anticipatory grief, desperate for something she cannot name. Adams said, There’s something so beautifully sad and desperate… She’s desperate for something even she can’t name… She’s living in this anticipatory grief constantly and it’s kind of heartbreaking. Adams also shared that she would make different choices than her character Chrissy. Ortega shared, It just was nice to be surprised by a script and a character and to do an adaptation of a book that I found really thought-provoking and beautiful.

For Ortega, the role required a departure from her typical screen presence. Known for her deadpan delivery in Netflix’s Wednesday, the 24-year-old actor embraced a much more expressive performance. As latimes.com detailed, Ortega found the project visually distinct and noted that it is rare to have the opportunity to be so large and expressive on screen. People are not used to seeing me be so expressive and especially over the years I’ve become a little bit more introverted, she said, adding that the project was very futuristic and just visually different than anything that I’d ever done before.

Waititi and Ortega Deny AI Commentary in New Film

The film explores loneliness through the lens of artificial intelligence in a dystopian setting. While the subject matter aligns with modern discussions surrounding technology, latimes.com reported that director Taika Waititi and Ortega maintained the film is not intended as a direct commentary on AI. Waititi pointed out that the project was shot roughly three years ago, a sentiment echoed by Ortega, who stated that ChatGPT was not a part of their discussions during production.

Despite the growing adoption of automated tools in the industry, Ortega offered a blunt assessment of the technology to latimes.com. Artificial intelligence isn’t creative. It mimics. Nothing about it is real or genuine, Ortega said. Ortega also weighed in on whether she would ever want an Artificial Friend, insisting, No, I don’t think it’s necessary… What I love so much about this movie is it takes something artificial to remind people that what’s really important is standing right in front of them and living and breathing and human.

Waititi similarly voiced skepticism regarding replacement, telling latimes.com that he entered filmmaking to work with people rather than push buttons at home, though he acknowledged the reality of its increasing adoption. I don’t think [AI] has a place, or it cannot ever replace humans. I got into this whole filmmaking thing or into the arts because I wanted to work with people. I don’t wanna be sitting around in my home just pushing buttons, said Waititi, who is also set to direct Barn 8, an adaptation of the satirical novel by Deb Olin Unferth. Waititi added, The reality is it’s gonna be used, and it’s gonna be adopted probably more and more, and I don’t know what the best version of this is. It can’t replace people. Conversely, other industry figures have embraced the shift, with Star Wars creator George Lucas calling AI the future over the summer, and director Martin Scorsese openly adopting generative AI, according to latimes.com reporting.

Looking toward her character’s outlook, Ortega expressed faith in human spontaneity, anticipating a bubbling underground movement that restores importance to things originating directly from human sources. I think there’ll be this wonderful sort of bubbling underground movement that brings back the importance of things coming from the source and individuals themselves, Ortega said.

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