Amid big box office success for The Housemaid, its Freida McFadden thriller starring Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar, Lionsgate is moving toward a 2026 production start for a sequel, The Housemaid’s Secret, based on the second novel in McFadden’s bestselling trilogy.
The project has been in development for the past few months, with Sweeney eyeing to return to star and exec produce, and co-star Michele Morrone also looking to reprise. It’s expected that Paul Feig will return to direct from a script by Rebecca Sonnenshine, who adapted The Housemaid. Producers will include Todd Lieberman of Hidden Pictures, Feig and Laura Fischer of Feig’s Pretty Dangerous Pictures, and Hidden Pictures’ Carly Elter and Alex Young. McFadden will also serve as an executive producer.
The film will be overseen by Lionsgate’s Chelsea Kujawa, who also oversaw the first film and brought the project into the studio, alongside Maria Ascanio. Robert Melnik negotiated deals for the studio.
“It’s clear from both the global box office and from the outpouring on social media that audiences have responded strongly – and audibly – to the totally unique and truly theatrical experience of The Housemaid and want to know what happens next,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chair Adam Fogelson. “We believed in these stories from the very beginning, and we are beyond excited to bring the next chapter of Millie’s story to life on-screen in collaboration with our outstanding creative partners Todd, Paul, Laura, Carly, Alex, and Sydney. The Housemaid’s Secret is another wildly thrilling book in Freida’s series that has captivated readers worldwide, and we look forward to translating it into a similarly rousing and riotous moviegoing experience.”
Said Hidden Pictures’ Lieberman, a producer on both Housemaid films, “We’re thrilled with the reception and incredibly proud of this entire team from Freida McFadden to our partners at Lionsgate, and the outstanding work of Paul and Laura. Most rewarding has been seeing how strongly audiences are connecting with the film.”
Director Feig added, “It’s been thrilling to see audiences around the world fall in love with The Housemaid and the incredible work of our talented cast and crew. We’re lucky that Freida McFadden has already extended Millie’s journey on the page, and that we get to work with Rebecca Sonnenshine and Lionsgate to bring this next story to audiences.”
Lionsgate’s adaptation of McFadden’s 2022 page-turner The Housemaid has broken out as a holiday hit, taking in over $75 million domestically in its first 17 days of release and $133 million worldwide, with international territories continuing to roll out through January. The film plunges audiences into a twisted world where perfection is an illusion, and nothing is as it seems. Trying to escape her past, Millie (Sweeney) accepts a job as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Nina (Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (Sklenar). But what begins as a dream job quickly unravels into something far more dangerous — a sexy, seductive game of secrets, scandal, and power. Behind the Winchesters’ closed doors lies a world of shocking twists that will leave you guessing until the very end.
Morrone plays Enzo, the mysterious groundskeeper for the Winchester estate who becomes an ally of Millie’s.
Published in 2023, The Housemaid’s Secret finds Millie in a new job with fresh promises, though she quickly realizes that she’s found herself inside another dangerous household where nothing is what it seems. The first Housemaid film ended with Millie interviewing for her next job, which she’s destined to get, given Nina’s recommendation.
The Housemaid books have sold over 12 million units across all titles, with The Housemaid’s Secret accounting for four million. Translated into 40 languages, the book has been a New York Times bestseller for 65 weeks and counting and won the 2023 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Thriller. McFadden published the third book in the series, The Housemaid Is Watching, in 2024.
Sonnenshine is represented by UTA, Circle Management + Production, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller; McFadden by Christina Hogrebe of Jane Rotrosen Agency, Angela Cheng Caplan of Cheng Caplan Company, and Allison Binder of Goodman Genow Schenkman; Sweeney by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller; Morrone by Ascend Artist Representation and Gang, Tyre, Ramer; and Feig by CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
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