Sydney Sweeney has a wide swath of projects coming in the near future. Sure, she might pause for a a thirst trap along the way, but Anyone But You positioned her as a powerhouse producer, so rest assured that she’s calling every shot. Sweeney has a boxing biopic coming along with Euphoria‘s third season shooting next year (or bust), and she still dreams of making that Barbarella remake happen, too. First, however, she will appear in Scandalous! (directed by Colman Domingo) and Echo Valley (a thriller with Julianne Moore), but there’s another thriller coming with a fast-tracked approach.
That would be The Housemaid, which has a built-in literary audience (as proven through 3.5+ million copies sold). Those readers would be down for sequels to the Freida McFadden-authored story, and Sweeney’s character is front and center in the sequel book, too. Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s piece together some clues on what to expect next.
Plot
McFadden, also a practicing physician, began self-publishing her own books (starting with The Devil Wears Scrubs) two decades ago on Amazon. She was already a well-recognized author for those readers who enjoyed her pulpy thrillers, but 2022’s The Housemaid made her a household name with two sequels, The Housemaid’s Secret and The Housemaid Is Watching, quickly moving into beach-read territory for those who like it darker. Readers have been known to gobble up entire McFadden books in a few sittings, and the book has been compared to fellow terrifying page-turner Behind Closed Doors, so it was only a matter of time before Hollywood hopped into the game.
In other words, this is the first McFadden novel to be adapted, and veteran director Paul Feig (The Heat, Bridesmaids) will pick up the project following A Simple Favor 2 (with Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick). In fact, this is next on Feig’s agenda with The Record reporting that cameras will roll in 2025 in New Jersey. McFadden, for her part, excitedly declared on Instagram that “Lionsgate has come up with the absolute perfect cast and director, and I am just so grateful.”
Deadline initially broke the story of Sweeney signing on to portray Millie Calloway, whose hidden past grows ever more complicated when she begins working for Nina (Amanda Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (that last name certainly adds to the atmosphere), and “sinister” doesn’t even begin to describe what she begins to discover. From the synopsis:
In the film, Sweeney will play Millie, a struggling woman who is relieved to get a fresh start as a housemaid to Nina (Amanda Seyfried) and Andrew, an upscale, wealthy couple. She soon learns that the family’s secrets are far more dangerous than her own.
The project should be lucrative for all involved, including Sweeney who will (as reported by TMZ) snag a $7.5 million salary for this picture. And surely more, if the sequel novels go into adaptation mode, too.
Cast
Sweeney and Seyfried will bring their combined star power as Millie and Nina, and Andrew Winchester will be portrayed by Brandon Sklenar, will also soon star in the second 1923 season from Taylor Sheridan next year.
Release Date
With filming happening in 2025, The Housemaid could surface by the end of the year or early 2026. January and February tend to be months where pulpy stories prevail in theaters, so we shall see.
Trailer
Since cameras haven’t rolled yet, Sweeney’s previous suspenseful turn in Blumhouse’s Nocturne Prime Video/Amazon film, Nocturne, in which she portrayed a vengeful twin, could be of interest:
