Brendan Fraser Finds Family in Unlikely Places in New ‘Rental Family’ Trailer
The trailer for Rental Family has been released, giving the first real look at the upcoming comedy-drama from director Hikari. The film stars Brendan Fraser, Mari Yamamoto, Takehiro Hira, and Akira Emoto.
It will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025 before opening in U.S. theaters on November 21, 2025, according to Searchlight Pictures.
The movie follows a lonely American actor living in Tokyo who takes a job at a Japanese “rental family” company. These companies hire people to play stand-in family members in the lives of clients who need them.
At first, it’s just another acting job, but along the way, he finds himself forming real connections and experiencing unexpected joy with the people he’s hired to help.
Discover the joy of unexpected connections. RENTAL FAMILY, starring Academy Award® winner Brendan Fraser. Directed by HIKARI. Premiering at @TIFF_NET 2025, only in theaters November 21st. #RentalFamily pic.twitter.com/nPZP9Ogc96
— Searchlight Pictures (@searchlightpics) August 5, 2025
Development on the film began back in 2019. Deadline reported that in November 2023, Fraser joined the cast, with Hikari directing and co-writing the script with Stephen Blahut. In March 2024, Mari Yamamoto, Takehiro Hira, and Akira Emoto came on board. Filming began in Japan on March 12, 2024, and wrapped in late May of that year.
The trailer shows a mix of touching and funny scenes, hinting at a heartfelt story about finding family in unexpected places. Fraser appears to bring both warmth and humor to his role, with the rest of the cast adding emotional depth. Rental Family marks another major role for Fraser following his Oscar-winning performance in The Whale.
With its TIFF debut only weeks away and the trailer now out, audiences are getting their first taste of what could be one of the more unique and touching films of the year.
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