Brendan Fraser to Star in Searchlight Comedy-Drama ‘Rental Family’

Oscar winner Brendan Fraser has signed on to star in Rental Family, a comedy-drama that Beef director Hikari is directing for Searchlight Pictures.

Hikari is doing triple-duty on the project, with co-writer and producer on her list of tasks. Also producing the feature are Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev of Sight Unseen, the banner that counts movies such as Bad Education among its credits. Shin Yamaguchi is producing as well.

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Co-penned by with Stephen Blahut, Family follows a down-and-out actor living in Tokyo, who is hired as a token American guy for a Japanese rental family company, leading him on an unexpected journey of self-discovery through the roles he plays in other people’s lives.

Fraser will play the down-and-out actor.

The plan is to begin principal photography this spring in Japan. Release plans will be announced at a later date.

Blahut and Tomo Koiziu are executive producing.

Fraser is enjoying a slow-rolling career resurgence and has been working with prestigious filmmakers on projects with cachet. That is unfolding thanks to his performance in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, the drama that re-opened Hollywood’s eyes to the actor’s talents. The performance won Fraser an Oscar at this year’s Academy Awards. He was last seen as a scene-stealing hyperbolic defense attorney in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.

Fraser is repped by CAA, Linden Entertainment and Felker Toczek.

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