Brendan Fraser's Searchlight Dramedy "Rental Family" Set for TIFF Premiere
Fraser plays a struggling actor in Tokyo who finds unexpected connections in an unconventional "rental family" business.
Searchlight Pictures has announced that Rental Family, the highly anticipated dramedy starring Academy Award winner Brendan Fraser, will have its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The film is then slated for a theatrical release on November 21st, positioning it perfectly for the upcoming awards season.
What’s Happening:
- Rental Family is set to debut at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival.
- TIFF's 50th anniversary celebration runs from September 4th through the 14th, 2025.
- Following its festival premiere, the film will open in theaters on November 21st.
- Rental Family stars Brendan Fraser as a down-on-his-luck American actor living in Tokyo. He takes an unusual job at a "rental family" company, where he plays various stand-in roles in other people’s lives.
- The film is directed by Mitsuyo Miyazaki, professionally known as Hikari, whose previous directorial credits include three episodes of the acclaimed Netflix series Beef and the 2019 Berlinale Panorama audience award winner 37 Seconds. Hikari also co-wrote the screenplay for Rental Family with Stephen Blahut.
- The film’s selection for a TIFF premiere and its late November release date strongly suggest that Searchlight Pictures sees Rental Family as a potential contender in the 2025 awards season.
Searchlight and TIFF:
- Several Searchlight films have been showcased at TIFF.
- Slumdog Millionaire (where Searchlight shared distribution with Warner Bros) won the People's Choice award at the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival, which positioned it well to pick up its eventual Best Picture Oscar.
- 12 Years a Slave also won the People’s Choice award at the 38th International Film Festival.
More Searchlight News: