Jenna Ortega Stuns in New Photos While ‘Klara and the Sun’ Stumbles With Critics

Jenna Ortega has spent the past week bouncing between film festivals, and her press tour has been as much about fashion as it has been about the movie. From London to Rome, every photocall has doubled as a style moment. Fans have noticed.

The film at the center of it all is ‘Klara and the Sun‘, Taika Waititi’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 novel. Ortega plays Klara, an Artificial Friend, alongside Amy Adams, Mia Tharia, Aran Murphy, Natasha Lyonne and Steve Buscemi. Sony Pictures Releasing opens it in the US and UK on October 23.

Ortega started the tour on October 14 at London’s Corinthia Hotel. She wore a color-blocked Calvin Klein look with a little scarf detail, and her dog was right beside her. The next night, at the film’s world premiere during the BFI London Film Festival, she wore a statement headwear piece.

Then came Rome on October 17, where she appeared at the film’s photocall in a vintage 1966 Pierre Cardin mod dress. The retro choice suited a story about an android from the future.

Jenna Ortega https://t.co/8zXMd8Sfa4

— JumpTrailers (@JumpTrailers) October 18, 2026

Now a fresh set of images of the ‘Wednesday’ star is making the rounds online, and they are a showstopper. In one, she gives the camera a smoldering close-up with glowing skin and sharp winged eyeliner. In the other, she glances over her shoulder in a shimmering champagne-toned halter dress, her dark hair piled high with face-framing pieces.

It is classic Ortega glamour, moody and a little theatrical. The photos have landed at a delicate moment for her, though, because the film they sit beside is not winning over reviewers.

‘Klara and the Sun’ holds a 25% Tomatometer score from 12 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. On Metacritic it has a 27 from 8 reviews, which the site labels “Generally Unfavorable.” When the first 10 reviews came in, the film sat at 20%, making it Waititi’s lowest-rated movie and Ortega’s second-lowest.

The main complaint is tone. Waititi’s trademark quirky humor clashes with the quiet, philosophical feel of Ishiguro’s book. Screen Rant’s Ben Gibbons, in his review, called it a “ham-fisted sci-fi comedy with a hollow message.”

Even the harshest write-ups tend to go easy on the lead. Variety said Ortega tries hard to illuminate the material but that the director’s whimsical approach sinks it. Other reviewers called her performance a standout and an endearing one.

The box office story hasn’t been written yet, since the film doesn’t open until October 23. Some outlets are projecting an opening of $6 million to $10 million, which would be modest for a studio sci-fi release.

Ortega’s recent history offers a sliver of hope. Her earlier films drew rough reviews from critics but warmer responses from viewers, with ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ sitting at 60% with audiences and ‘Death of a Unicorn’ at 76%. Moviegoers may be kinder to Klara than the critics were.

First trailer for Taika Waititi’s ‘KLARA AND THE SUN’, starring Jenna Ortega & Amy Adams. The film follows a robot who bought by a family to help them heal physically & mentally in a dystopian future. In theaters on October 23. https://t.co/5DJrU9NFUF

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) June 22, 2026

Ortega has stayed upbeat about what the film is trying to say. At the London premiere, she told Variety she hopes it encourages people to “put down the computers and phones.” That message about disconnecting from screens fits a movie about artificial companionship.

Whatever happens at the box office, her schedule is stacked. She is set to reprise Wednesday Addams in ‘Wednesday’ Season 3 and to star in ‘The Great Beyond’ opposite Glen Powell, directed by J.J. Abrams. A rough opening for ‘Klara and the Sun’ is unlikely to slow her down.

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