Jenna Ortega brings adopted whippet Twigs to Klara and the Sun premiere
The actress arrived at the world premiere of Klara and the Sun in coordinated Calvin Klein, accompanied by her rescue dog from Ireland.
Jenna Ortega brought an unexpected guest to the world premiere of her new film Klara and the Sun at the BFI London Film Festival on Thursday: Twigs, her black whippet adopted from an animal sanctuary in Ireland.
Ortega adopted Twigs while filming the second season of Wednesday and has spoken publicly about the dog’s rescue. According to the actress, Twigs was the runt of the litter, had a bad eye, and was prone to illness. She received her name, Ortega explained to Seth Meyers, because “when she sleeps she looks like a pile of twigs.” Though the dog has accompanied her to the Wednesday set, she typically sits out press tours—until this premiere.
A different look for a different film
The dystopian sci-fi film, directed by Taika Waititi and based on the 2021 novel by Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro, follows Ortega as Klara, a humanoid android companion created to serve children. Where Wednesday demanded severe corsetry and witchy aesthetics, this film called for something cleaner: futuristic Americana channeled through a legacy New York brand.
What the film explores
At the premiere, Ortega spoke to Variety about the film’s central theme. “I think we gotta put our focus on one another and put down the computers and phones,” she told the publication. “Remember to be present and to appreciate people while they’re standing right in front of you.” She also clarified that Klara, though an artificial friend, operates differently from AI systems today, telling Variety that Klara “gets all her information from the real world.” According to Ortega, “She’s kind of like a toddler in a sense.”
Waititi shared Ortega’s sentiment about the film’s message. “I would just like people to remember what friendship is, connect with people and just be,” he said. “Just be in the moment.”
The film also stars Amy Adams as Josie’s mother, Natasha Lyonne, Steve Buscemi, and Aran Murphy (son of Cillian Murphy). Novelist Kazuo Ishiguro attended the premiere alongside Waititi’s wife Rita Ora and a surprise appearance from Florence Pugh. The film is set to hit theaters through Sony Pictures on October 23. Ishiguro also revealed at the premiere that he is working on an original screenplay with Tim Burton, a project he described as difficult to categorize. “It’s a Tim Burton film,” he said.
This article was compiled by the Glamorade editorial desk from the official announcements and reporting listed under Sources.
