Taika Waititi defends 'Klara and the Sun' amid mixed reviews and box office

Taika Waititi, director of the film 'Klara and the Sun,' has publicly responded to negative critical reviews by calling critics "irrelevant," "out of touch," and "sad lost souls," according to Deadline, Hollywood Reporter, and Variety. He shared an Instagram post showing the film's audience score of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to a critics score of 28%.

The film, adapted from Kazuo Ishiguro's 2021 novel, is set in a dystopian future and stars Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams. It follows an obsolete companion android trying to bond with her young owner who is ill, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

'Klara and the Sun' opened in 880 North American theaters last week and earned about $725,000 in its opening weekend, placing outside the top 10 at the box office. Worldwide gross is approximately $1.7 million, Variety noted.

Waititi said he has not read reviews aimed at him or his peers in nearly 15 years but listens to audience feedback. He expressed sympathy for critics who he said "couldn't achieve their dreams of becoming artists," calling them "obsolete" and "in the bin," according to multiple sources.

At the film's New York premiere, Waititi also discussed artificial intelligence, which is central to the film's premise, emphasizing that AI should be used as a tool by humans rather than a replacement, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.