‘Rental Family’ trailer out: Brendan Fraser rediscovers himself hired as relative for Japanese agency clients

WASHINGTON: Oscar-winning actor Brendan Fraser, known for his performance in ‘The Whale’, will next be seen in the comedy-drama movie ‘Rental Family’. The makers have finally released the trailer of the film to offer a glimpse into the life of an actor who rediscovers himself while working for a Japanese agency.

The movie is co-written and directed by Hikari. Along with Fraser, the movie also stars Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Gorman and Akira Emoto in prominent roles. According to the press note shared by the makers, the film follows an American actor (Brendan Fraser) who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese “rental family” agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers.

As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection, as per the press note of the film.

In the film’s one-minute and thirty-second teaser, Fraser is shown battling in contemporary Tokyo, where he is asked to sell “emotions” for twice the work and half the pay. As per the job, the actor is asked to play real-life roles for the agency’s clients, which include posing as their best friend, sibling, boyfriend and others.

Initially, Fraser struggles to adapt to this new “rental” phenomenon, as in one of the scenes the actor faces the brunt of a child when he poses as her father in real life. Searchlight Pictures (the official distributor of the movie) shared the trailer of the movie on their official Instagram handle.

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With a screenplay by HIKARI and Stephen Blahut, the film is produced by Sight Unseen Pictures’ Julia Lebedev and Eddie Vaisman, as well as Knockonwood’s Shin Yamaguchi. ‘Rental Family’ will have its world premiere at the 50th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2025. (ANI)