Japanese filmmaker Hikari will direct a new comedy-drama film for Disney-owned Searchlight Pictures. According to entertainment news outlet Variety, the studio has picked up the rights to the project, titled Rental Family, which has a script by Hikari and Stephen Blahut. Oppenheimer Director Christopher Nolan Reveals He Was Nervous While Filming His First Ever Sex Scenes.
Hikari, most recently directed three episodes of Netflix's critically-acclaimed series Beef, starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, will also produce the project. Rental 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. Evil Dead Rise: Director Lee Cronin Says ‘Always Looking for Something a Little Bit Better’ to Write or Think Makes for a Good Horror Movie.
Check Out Disney's Searchlight Pictures Picks Up Rental Family Comedy-Drama from Japanese Director Hikar:
Searchlight Teams with 'Beef' Director Hikari for Comedy-Drama 'Rental Family' (Exclusive) https://t.co/OIFBzZiTfg
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) November 16, 2023
The project will be produced by Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedevof Sight Unseen as well as Shin Yamaguchi. Rental Family will soon start principal photography in Japan.