Jashandeep Singh
Taika Waititi’s next directorial venture ‘Klara and the Sun’ is scheduled to begin filming in New Zealand and Australia in January 2024. The film is an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 novel of the same name and follows Klara, an artificial friend who is kept in a store. With her strong observational skills, Klara carefully watches the behavior of everyone around her including those who come in to browse and even those who pass by on the street outside. Meanwhile, she stays hopeful that a customer will eventually come and choose her.
Waititi’s last outing was the 2022 Marvel film ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ starring Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale, and Natalie Portman. The director is also known for directing the 2019 comedy film ‘Jojo Rabbit,’ for which he earned the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He is also gearing up for the release of the biographical sports film ‘Next Goal Wins.’ The movie, based on football coach Thomas Rongen’s actions to lead the American Samoa national football team, is slated to release on November 17, 2023.
Waititi’s other directorial credits include the 2017 superhero film ‘Thor: Ragnarok,’ the 2016 comedy-drama ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople,’ the 2014 horror comedy ‘What We Do in the Shadows,’ the 2010 comedy-drama ‘Boy,’ and the 2007 romantic comedy ‘Eagle vs Shark.’
The screenplay of the film is penned by Dahvi Waller. The Primetime Emmy Award-winning writer is recognized for creating the FX miniseries ‘Mrs. America.’ She worked as a writer in numerous other shows as well, including ‘Desperate Housewives,’ ‘Eli Stone,’ ‘Mad Men,’ ‘American Odyssey,’ and ‘Halt and Catch Fire.’
The cast of the film has not been announced as of now. The project is produced by David Heyman’s Heyday Films (‘Harry Potter’ film series, ‘Marriage Story,’ and ‘Barbie’), along with 3000 Pictures (‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ and ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’). The executive producers include Ishiguro, Rosie Alison, and Jeffrey Clifford. Waititi and Garrett Basch are also expected to serve as producers.
While the filming of the project is already scheduled, the same may begin only after the conclusion of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. Australia, where the production is set to commence, has served as a filming location for Waititi’s earlier films as well, including ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ and ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’ At the same time, New Zealand is the home country of the filmmaker and he directed the initial films of his career, including ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ and ‘Eagle vs Shark,’ in the region.
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