Rental Family (2026)

Rental Family is a 2025 American-Japanese tragicomedy directed by Hikari, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Blahut. The film follows Phillip (Brendan Fraser), an American actor in Tokyo trying to find meaning in life. He takes an unusual job at a Japanese 'rental family' agency, where he plays roles for strangers — father, husband, friend. Gradually, the lines between performance and reality blur, and Phillip begins to discover genuine human connections, belonging, and the beauty of unexpected relationships.

Key Information:

• Director: Hikari
• Writers: Hikari, Stephen Blahut
• Producers: Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedeva, Hikari, Shin Yamaguchi
• Starring: Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Mahina Gorman, Akira Emoto
• Studio: Searchlight Pictures
• Premiere: September 6, 2025 (TIFF), November 21, 2025 (USA), February 27, 2026 (Japan)

Plot:

American actor Phillip, living in Tokyo, is going through a creative and personal crisis. By chance, he finds work at an agency that provides 'rental relative' services — people hired to play a family member at weddings, funerals, holidays, or simply for company. At first, Phillip treats it as just another acting job, but over time he begins to feel genuine attachment to his 'clients'. He faces moral dilemmas: can emotions be sold, and does he have the right to interfere in the lives of people who need not just a performance, but real support. The film explores themes of loneliness, identity, and the search for home in the modern world.

Franchise Chronology:

Currently, 'Rental Family' is a standalone film with no sequels, prequels, or spin-offs.

Where to Watch:

• Digital release: available for rent or purchase on digital platforms from January 13, 2026.
• Blu-ray: Blu-ray release by 20th Century Studios and Disney is scheduled for February 17, 2026.
• Streaming: currently no official information on availability on streaming services, but it is expected to appear on Hulu (since Searchlight Pictures is owned by Disney).
• Search on UAKino: Rental Family on UAKino

Note: The query indicated the creator as 'Jennifer Lawrence', but no source confirms her involvement in the film 'Rental Family'. There may be confusion with another project. The current status of the film is 'completed' (released in 2025), but due to data discrepancy in the query, the status is marked as undetermined.