HIKARI’s Rental Family Finds Family In The Most Unexpected Places

Brendan Fraser leads a warm story about connection, with the cast, trailer, and current streaming details

Set in modern-day Tokyo, Rental Family follows an American actor who takes an unusual job playing stand-in roles for strangers. The work begins as a performance, but Phillip soon finds real connection, purpose, and plenty of gentle humor in the lives around him.

Watch The Official Trailer For Rental Family

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What Rental Family Is About

Phillip Vanderploeg, a down-on-his-luck American actor living in Tokyo, discovers a new career opportunity when a “rental family” agency approaches him. The agency offers its customers a service in which actors play stand-in roles for strangers. It’s a heartwarming original story based on a real Japanese phenomenon. Rental Family follows Phillip as he takes on the challenge of acting on a smaller, more intimate scale and becomes entangled in people’s lives in ways he never expected. 

What kind of movie is Rental Family?

It’s an uplifting story about the human need for connection and community, which transcends cultures, countries, and languages. Beautifully capturing the vibrancy of Tokyo, the movie is both deeply moving and peppered with delightfully funny moments.

Everything You Need To Know About Rental Family

Find the movie’s release date, streaming options, subscription details, and creative team below.

When was Rental Family released?

The movie premiered theatrically on November 21, 2025, and began streaming on Hulu on February 18, 2026.

Where can you watch Rental Family?

You can watch now on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers.*

What Disney+ subscription do you need to watch Rental Family?

To watch the movie on Disney+, you’ll need a bundle subscription that includes Hulu.* Read more about Disney+ bundles and what you can get with your subscription.

Who is behind Rental Family?

HIKARI co-wrote the movie with Stephen Blahut. She also directed and produced the movie alongside Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, and Shin Yamaguchi.

Rental Family Cast & Characters

Brendan Fraser leads the ensemble alongside Shannon Mahina Gorman, Shino Shinozaki, Takehiro Hira, Akira Emoto, and Mari Yamamoto.

Brendan Fraser as Phillip Vanderploeg

The Oscar® winner plays the movie’s lead, an American actor who’s been living in Japan for seven years and is searching for his next break. 

Shannon Mahina Gorman as Mia Kawasaki

Single mother Hitomi hires Phillip to play the role of Mia’s father. Rental Family is Gorman’s first on-screen role.

Shino Shinozaki as Hitomi Kawasaki

Hitomi is Mia’s mother, doing everything she can to support her daughter while dealing with financial and social pressures. Rental Family is Shinozaki’s first feature film.

Takehiro Hira as Shinji Tada

Tada is the owner of the rental family agency that recruits Phillip. Hira has starred in a number of movies and shows, including FX’s Shōgun (Hulu). 

Akira Emoto as Kikuo Hasegawa

Kikuo is a retired actor who has recently developed dementia. Phillip is hired by Kikuo’s daughter to pose as a journalist profiling his life and career. Emoto has acted in many Japanese productions, including Shin Godzilla.

Mari Yamamoto as Aiko Nakajima

An employee of the rental family agency, Aiko helps Phillip adjust to his new job. Yamamoto also stars in the show Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.

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