Taika Waititi to Direct Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun Movie

Taika Waititi has spent time in both the Star Wars and Marvel galaxies, and he’s adding another sci-fi project to his to-do list: a big-screen adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun.

Deadline reports the Thor: Love and Thunder helmer (and co-star) is likely to make the project based on the award-winning sci-fi book his next directorial outing. For Waititi fans waiting for another non-franchise heart-wrencher like JoJo Rabbit, this film—based on one of the most recent works of the Never Let Me Go and The Remains of the Day author—seems like a perfect fit for the director’s quirky but deeply emotional wheelhouse.

Ishiguro’s book centers on a robot girl who forms a unique bond with a human family. The book is summarized as “The story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her. Klara and the Sun is a thrilling book that 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?”

The script is set to be written by Dahvi Waller; Waititi—whose next release is soccer-themed comedy-drama Next Goal Wins, out in November—is negotiations to produce alongside David Heyman for Heyday Films, and Garrett Basch. Author Ishiguro will be executive producing.

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