Jenna Ortega walked the red carpet in London with a simple wish for anyone watching her new movie.
Jenna Ortega says she hopes Klara and the Sun gets people to put down their phones and pay attention to each other again. She shared that message with Variety on October 15, 2026, at the film's world premiere during the 70th BFI London Film Festival in London, ahead of its October 23 release in U.S. theaters through Sony Pictures.
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Jenna Ortega's Klara and the Sun Message on Phones Hits Home at Premiere
A little wind didn't sway Jenna Ortega at the 'Klara And The Sun' photocall in London. (?: Getty Images) https://t.co/r9Wxazgz6F
— HollywoodLife (@HollywoodLife) October 14, 2026
Standing on the red carpet at BFI Southbank, Ortega didn't just promote her movie. She talked about what she hoped it would do to people who watch it. Her words were direct and simple. "I think we gotta put our focus on one another and put down the computers and phones," she told Variety.
That line landed because it mirrors exactly what her character goes through on screen. Ortega plays Klara, an artificial friend built to keep a sick teenager named Josie company. The world around them is full of screens, devices and machines meant to replace real human closeness. Ortega's comment ties her own life straight into the film's warning about letting technology take over.
Variety's report noted that Ortega wants the film to remind audiences to live in the moment, especially now, in an age full of AI tools and nonstop screen time. It's a message that feels personal coming from an actress whose career has grown alongside social media and constant online attention.
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Klara and the Sun Release Date and Cast Bring Ishiguro's Story to Screen
The film is based on Kazuo Ishiguro's 2021 novel of the same name, a book praised for its quiet, aching look at loneliness and what it means to love someone. Taika Waititi directed the adaptation and co-wrote the script with Dahvi Waller. Their version brings Ishiguro's gentle, sad story into a visual world of artificial companions and family struggles.
Alongside Ortega, the cast includes Amy Adams as Josie's mother, Chrissie, and Mia Tharia as Josie herself. Aran Murphy plays Rick, Josie's close friend. Natasha Lyonne, Steve Buscemi, Simon Baker and Rachel House round out the supporting roles. Florence Pugh also appeared at the London premiere, though she is not listed among the film's principal cast.
David Heyman produced the film, with Ishiguro himself credited as a producer in several film databases. The production reportedly involved 3000 Pictures, Heyday Films and Sony, spanning filming across the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand. The movie runs close to two hours and carries a PG-13 rating.
Taika Waititi's Klara and the Sun Film Turns a Sci-Fi Story Into a Mirror
What makes this premiere stand out is how Ortega framed a futuristic story as something happening right now. Klara and the Sun imagines a society where artificial companions, gene editing and status built on technology shape everyday family life. But Ortega's comments pulled that imagined world back down to earth, linking it directly to real habits like scrolling through phones instead of talking to the people in the room.
Waititi is known for blending humor with heavy emotional themes in his films, and early signs suggest this adaptation leans more serious and reflective than his past comedic work. Ishiguro's novel never shouted its warnings. It whispered them through Klara's innocent, careful observations of human behavior. Translating that tone to film while keeping its emotional weight was likely one of the bigger challenges facing Waititi and Waller as they adapted the book.
The story's themes of loneliness, inequality and the search for connection feel timed well for 2026 audiences, many of whom already worry about how much time they spend on devices. Ortega's red carpet comment gave the film's marketing a real-world hook beyond just being another AI movie.
What Happens Next for Klara and the Sun After Its London Premiere
The eight-day gap between the London premiere and the U.S. theatrical release on October 23 gives the film a short but important runway. Reviews, word of mouth and social media reactions from the London festival crowd will likely shape expectations heading into opening weekend.
So far, there's no confirmed box office data, critic scores or official studio statement beyond the release date itself. Sony has not announced streaming plans, award season campaigns or any sequel talk. What's confirmed is simple: the London premiere happened, Ortega made her statement, and the film opens nationwide in a little over a week.
Audiences will soon decide whether Klara and the Sun succeeds not just as a sci-fi drama, but as the kind of film Ortega hopes it becomes, one that makes people look up from their screens, even just for a couple of hours.
