“Rental Family” Exclusive Interview with Writer/Director Hikari

©Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

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Nobuhiro Hosoki grew up watching American films since he was a kid; he decided to go to the United States thanks to seeing the artistry of Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange.” After graduating from film school, he worked as an assistant director on  TV Tokyo’s program called “Morning Satellite” at the New York branch office but he didn’t give up on his interest in cinema. He became a film reporter for via Yahoo Japan News. In that role, he writes news articles, picks out headliners for Yahoo News, as well as interviewing Hollywood film directors, actors, and producers working in the domestic circuit in the USA. He also does production interviews for Japanese distributors of American films and for in-theater on-sale programs. He is now the editor-in-chief of Cinemadailyus.com while continuing his work for Japan.

Rental Family

©Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Set in modern-day Tokyo, “RENTAL FAMILY” 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.

Director : HIKARI

Producer : Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, HIKARI, Shin Yamaguchi

Screenwriter : HIKARI, Stephen Blahut

Distributor :Searchlight Pictures

Production Co : Sight Unseen

Rating : PG-13 (Some Strong Language|Thematic Elements|Suggestive Material)

Genre : Comedy, Drama

Original Language : English

Release Date (Theaters) : Nov 21, 2025, Wide Runtime : 1h 43m

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