‘Klara and the Sun’: Taika Waititi Sets Adaptation as His Next Feature!!

Taika Waititi has a lot on his plate right now, and the director just added a little bit more to it. According to Deadline, Waititi is currently in negotiations to direct a feature adaptation of Klara and the Sun. It comes from the New York Times bestselling Kazuo Ishiguro novel of the same name. The project is still in the early stages of development from Sony‘s 3000 Pictures.

For now, no word on casting is available. The original screenplay draft is written by Dahvi Waller, whose previous experience largely consists of television writing. Waller has penned episodes for shows like Halt and Catch Fire, Mrs. America, Mad Men, and more. Klara and the Sun will be executive produced by Ishiguro, with Waititi, Garrett Basch, and Heyday Films‘ David Heyman as producers. Elizabeth Gabler and Aislinn Dunster oversee for 3000 pictures.

Klara and the Sun follows its title character, “an Artificial Friend” created with the purpose of ensuring that teenagers don’t become lonely. So, when a new family takes her in, Klara does her best to spare them from heartbreak. Per Penguin Random House, the book “offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator and one that explores the fundamental question: what does it mean to love?”

Alongside Klara, another Ishiguro adaptation is in the works. Following the success of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, the filmmaker is set to make a stop-motion animated rendition of Ishiguro‘s The Buried Giant. It follows an elderly British couple who searches for their long-lost son in a world where no one seems able to access their long-term memories. Del Toro already gave an update on the feature, telling The Telegraph that he and Dennis Kelly are “developing a look-book, and in about two years if everything goes well, we’ll start production.”

Taika Waititi’s Upcoming Projects

Waititi is staying booked and busy, with a slew of projects — new and returning — releasing in the near(ish) future. First, his long-delayed feature Next Goal Wins is currently slated to release on November 17. The film recently debuted its first trailer, promising a feel-good movie for viewers. Additionally, Season 2 of Our Flag Means Death, which stars Waititi as Blackbeard, is imminent, though a release date has yet to be announced. What We Do in the Shadows and Reservation Dogs, which see Waititi as an executive producer, are both returning for new seasons later this year. He also has several upcoming projects including Interior Chinatown, a new Star Wars, and a Time Bandits series, among others.