Jenna Ortega & Taika Waititi's New Bestselling Sci-Fi Adaptation Debuts To Rotten Tomatoes Record

Published Oct 16, 2026, 6:10 PM EDT Fariba Rezwan is a Lead Editor for the Movie News team. She has been with ScreenRant for nearly five years, with roles ranging from list editor to junior news editor. During that time, Fariba has led coverage for breaking movies and TV news, including Hunger Games, Marvel, and streaming. Additionally, she has actively provided commentary and reactions to the biggest movies and shows on her YouTube channel, The Movieception Show. Jenna Ortega's new sci-fi movie doesn't live up to its book counterpart. After a relatively quiet year for the in-demand Scream actor, her first release this year is the sci-fi film Klara and the Sun, based on Kazuo Ishiguro's bestselling 2021 novel. Set in a dystopian world, the movie follows Ortega's titular android as she tries to bond with a sick girl, Josie (Mia Tharia). Although the sci-fi feature won't be released for another week, it premiered at the BFI London Film Festival, where early reactions came in. As the first ten reviews drop, Klara and the Sun unfortunately debuts with a 20% on Rotten Tomatoes. Although the score will fluctuate as more reviews come in, the new sci-fi adaptation is Ortega's second-lowest-rated movie in her career, just ahead of 2025's Hurry Up Tomorrow. It's also Waititi's lowest-rated film ever, breaking the 15-year record set by Green Lantern (25%), in which he starred. Critics emphasized that the sci-fi adaptation fails to capture the essence of Ishiguro's novel, particularly in its tone and subtlety. In fact, the quirky, humorous tone that is a trademark of Waititi's movies clashes with the source material's quieter, more philosophical tone. However, Ortega's energetic, loyal android performance was the bright spot, and critics also praised the colorful, upbeat visuals. Jenna Ortega's 5 Lowest-Rated Movies Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025) 14% 60% Klara and the Sun (2026) 20% N/A Finestkind (2013) 27% 58% Miller's Girl (2024) 30% 47% Winter Spring Summer or Fall (2024) 31% 71% In ScreenRant's review of Klara and the Sun, Ben Gibbons echoed those disappointments, saying the movie "fails to capture the beauty of a carefully constructed dystopian tale, instead offering up a ham-fisted sci-fi comedy with a hollow message," especially as "the conclusion feels distinctly (and ironically) wooden." However, he praises Tharia and Ortega's performances as the standout, despite the poor screenplay. Unfortunately, Klara and the Sun adds another wrinkle to Ortega's recent track record. Both her 2025 releases failed to impress critics, with Death of a Unicorn (52%) and Hurry Up Tomorrow (25%). Ortega has one more 2026 release, Natalia Portman's The Gallerist, but reviews were also mixed, with 54%. Since Klara and the Sun couldn't break that trend, Ortega's last five movies have leaned mixed to negative. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was her last movie to earn a "fresh" rating of 76%. Choose the movie with the higher Rotten Tomatoes score. Although critics weren't as impressed with her recent releases, the audience reception has been a different story. Moviegoers tend to warm up to Ortega's movies, with 60% for Hurry Up Tomorrow and 76% for Death of a Unicorn. So, the audience score could fare better for Klara and the Sun. Some outlets currently project the sci-fi adaptation will likely open to $6 million to $10 million. Meanwhile, Ortega's next sci-fi movie is The Great Beyond, starring Glen Powell and directed by J.J. Abrams. She will also reprise Wednesday Addams in Netflix's Wednesday season 3. Waititi also co-wrote the screenplay with Dahvi Waller. Oscar-nominated actor Amy Adams, Tharia, Aran Murphy, Steve Buscemi, and Natasha Lyonne round out the cast. Klara and the Sun will be released in theaters on October 23, 2026.