Production History (Rental Family) Rental Family
Blahut discovered the rental family concept while researching jobs for Americans in Japan
Co-writer Stephen Blahut was looking into what kinds of work an American could do in Japan when he stumbled across the rental family industry — along with other unusual services like cuddling services, butler cafes, and renting girlfriends. He brought the concept to Hikari, who had grown up in Japan and had never heard of it:
"What is this rental family? He was like, 'Do you know anything about it?' I was like, 'I'm Japanese. I've never heard of it.'" — Hikari, Script Magazine (2025)
"The business itself is very interesting. And then I knew there's a story there immediately." — Hikari, Script Magazine (2025)
Hikari and Blahut had previously collaborated on the 2019 film 37 Seconds, where Blahut served as director of photography. Their writing process on Rental Family was collaborative but flexible — sometimes they wrote together, sometimes one would draft a scene and show it to the other. While Hikari directed the Netflix series Beef, Blahut continued working on Rental Family and they would reconvene on weekends. (scriptmag)
The pandemic sharpened the script's focus on isolation
Development began in 2019, but the script crystallized during the pandemic. The enforced isolation gave Hikari and Blahut direct experience of the loneliness their characters were navigating:
"During that time when we really dug in and started writing the script, it was right around the pandemic." — Hikari, Script Magazine (2025)
"There's so much isolation and loneliness that came from it, and that we kind of took that as would be a core story." — Hikari, Script Magazine (2025)
Hikari interviewed real rental companion actors and business owners during research, discovering the industry was deeper and more varied than she expected — including older gentlemen who specialized in advising younger clients and women-led companies that worked exclusively with female clients. (scriptmag)
Searchlight acquired the project and Fraser signed on in late 2023
Producers Julia Lebedev and Eddie Vaisman had been in discussions with Hikari about the project since 2019. They sold the package to Searchlight Pictures in 2023. On November 21, 2023, Brendan Fraser was announced in the lead role. Hikari had seen Fraser in The Whale and felt an immediate connection:
"He was very careful with what he was going to choose. I think he got 70 scripts sent his way after winning the Oscar." — Hikari, IndieWire (2025)
Additional cast — including Takehiro Hira and Akira Emoto — were announced in March 2024. (wikipedia)
Principal photography ran March through May 2024 in Japan
Filming began on March 12, 2024, and wrapped in late May 2024, a roughly two-and-a-half-month shoot conducted entirely in Japan. The production operated under Japanese cultural norms that affected the pace and logistics. Producer Julia Lebedev described a slower, more respectful production style:
"It ended up being a really nice way to make the film, because the actors weren't rushed." — Julia Lebedev, The Hollywood Reporter (2025)
"It creates a real slowdown, but it is not even a question that we would damage the location or insult the location owners by wearing our shoes inside." — Julia Lebedev, The Hollywood Reporter (2025)
Producer Eddie Vaisman noted that everyone on set — from Fraser to the key grip — observed Japanese customs:
"Oscar-winning actor to key grip, producer to director, everyone takes off their shoes." — Eddie Vaisman, The Hollywood Reporter (2025)
The cherry blossoms bloomed two weeks late and caused production chaos
The production planned to shoot key scenes during cherry blossom season, but the bloom arrived fifteen days behind schedule:
"It was off by 15 days. So you can imagine the type of chaos that caused during production." — Eddie Vaisman, The Hollywood Reporter (2025)
The crew maintained extensive backup plans:
"There was always a backup to the backup. 'In case this happens, we can go do this, and in case that happens, we can go do that.'" — Eddie Vaisman, The Hollywood Reporter (2025)
Fraser learned Japanese on set with a dialect coach
Fraser worked with a dialect coach throughout the shoot for his Japanese-language scenes:
"I'm an excellent mimic. By the end, I could comprehend conversations at least. And I realized that language becomes immaterial when you have a need to communicate." — Brendan Fraser, Variety (2025)
Hikari described Fraser's approach to the language challenge:
"When we were on set, we had a dialect coach so that when we had long lines, she could teach him every time, every morning, when he came in." — Hikari, Deadline (2025)
The score was composed by Jonsi and Alex Somers (of Sigur Ros), and cinematography was by Takuro Ishizaka. The film was edited by Alan Baumgarten and Thomas A. Krueger. Production companies were Sight Unseen Productions and Domo Arigato Productions. (wikipedia)