London Film Festival has selected Hikari’s Tokyo-set dramedy Rental Family, starring Brendan Fraser, as the American Express Gala, confirming the film’s UK premiere on October 16 at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall. Organizers say director Hikari and Fraser are expected to attend, with additional screenings planned across the UK during the festival’s October 8–19 run.
Set against Japan’s “rental family” industry, the film follows an American actor who takes paid gigs as a stand-in relative and begins to find purpose in the roles he’s hired to play. The distributor has dated a U.S. theatrical release for November 21, positioning the title in late-fall corridors that often attract awards-season attention.
Before its London bow, Rental Family is slated to have its world premiere at September’s Toronto International Film Festival, part of a gala slate that includes several high-profile titles; TIFF runs September 4–14 this year.
Momentum has built in recent days with the first trailer offering a look at Fraser in his first leading role since his Oscar win, playing opposite a Japanese and international ensemble. Early promotional materials emphasize a tone that blends gentle humor with questions about performance, identity, and connection.
The film’s premise draws on a documented real-world service in Japan where agencies supply surrogate relatives or friends for social occasions, a phenomenon that has been reported for years and remains a source of ethical and cultural debate.
