The Filmmaker’s Podcast #489: Hikari on directing Brendan Fraser in ‘Rental Family’
Here’s the latest episode of The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.
For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro-budget indie films to bigger-budget studio films and everything in between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dom Lenoir, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk about how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their filmmaking experiences from directors, writers, producers and screenwriters, to actors, cinematographers and distributors.

The Filmmaker’s Podcast #489: Hikari: Directing Brendan Fraser in Rental Family & Creating Netflix’s Beef PLUS Award Season Discussion
Director Hikari (Beef, Tokyo Vice) joins The Filmmakers Podcast to discuss her new film Rental Family and working with Brendan Fraser. In this inspiring interview, Hikari breaks down her unique journey with Dom Lenoir to chat her journey from stunt extra to award-winning director. She discusses the process of crafting the visual language for the hit Netflix series Beef (directing the pilot), working with Michael Mann on Tokyo Vice, and the emotional journey of making Rental Family. We dive deep into directing actors across different languages, the “fake family” rental phenomenon in Japan, and how she transitioned from her indie breakout 37 Seconds to major studio projects.
Topics discussed:
- Directing Brendan Fraser in his first major role since The Whale.
- How she set the visual tone for Netflix’s Beef.
- The cultural differences between filming in Tokyo vs. Hollywood.
- Writing Rental Family during the pandemic.
- Advice for filmmakers on finding their unique voice.
Rental Family is out now, check out our review right here.
Follow The Filmmakers Podcast on Twitter: @filmmakerspod | @gilesalderson and the official website



































