Jenna Ortega has urged audiences to spend less time on their phones and focus on human relationships as her new science fiction film, Klara and the Sun, explores a future shaped by artificial intelligence.
Speaking to Variety at the film’s world premiere during the BFI London Film Festival on October 15, the actress said she hopes the story will encourage viewers to reconsider their reliance on technology.
«I think we gotta put our focus on one another and put down the computers and phones,» Ortega said.
She added that people should remember to appreciate those around them rather than becoming absorbed in their devices.
Jenna Ortega on the message of new movie #KlaraAndTheSun, in which she plays an artificial companion: «I think we gotta put our focus on one another and not the computers and phones. Remember to be present and appreciate people when they’re standing right in front of you.» https://t.co/nAmujN7Il1
— Variety (@Variety) October 15, 2026
Directed by Taika Waititi, the film adapts the 2021 novel by Nobel Prize-winning British author Kazuo Ishiguro. It follows Klara, a solar-powered humanoid robot designed to provide companionship in a society increasingly divided by technological advances.
Ortega plays Klara, who forms a close bond with Josie, a lonely teenage girl portrayed by Mia Tharia. As Klara becomes part of Josie’s family, she begins to influence their relationships despite being an artificial companion.
What to expect from Klara and the Sun
The cast also includes Amy Adams as Josie’s mother, alongside Natasha Lyonne, Steve Buscemi and Aran Murphy.
Waititi, known for Jojo Rabbit and Thor: Ragnarok, directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Dahvi Waller.
The filmmaker told Reuters that the story’s exploration of technology and human connection has become increasingly relevant as AI enters everyday life. He described the project as one of his most dramatic films, while retaining elements of his characteristic humour.
The film’s central question is whether an artificial companion can understand human emotions and offer genuine comfort, particularly to people struggling with loneliness and loss.
Klara and the Sun will arrive in UK and US cinemas on October 23, following its London premiere.
