Just a few weeks ago, Taika Waititi's adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's "Klara and the Sun" was set to open in over 1,900 theaters this weekend. Now, according to Variety, that number has been cut to roughly 850.
The reason for all this isn't hard to figure out. The film world-premiered at the London Film Festival last week to some of the nastiest reviews of the year. Variety called it "calamitous." IndieWire's Ryan Lattanzio flat-out suggested Waititi might be headed for director jail. It currently sits at 27% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Of course, Deadline being Deadline, it is trying to spin this as a "platform" release, hoping Jenna Ortega's fanbase will show up and spread the word. Come on. You don't platform a movie by slashing its screen count 48 hours before it opens. This is a studio cutting its losses, plain and simple. Variety now has "Klara" tracking for a $2M opening.
The good news for Sony? The film only cost $20M, co-financed with Spyglass, so the losses won't be too crazy. But the warning signs were there. The film was delayed by well over a year. Simon Baker was cast as the father, only to have his entire role cut in the edit. Really, the film has been a mess from the start, and Waititi now has three consecutive flops on his hands. Director’s jail, indeed.
At least four actors have received test offers. Deadline's insiders say three of them are Jack Lowden, Callum Turner and Josh O'Connor. The fourth name is a “mystery actor.”