Lionsgate is moving ahead with The Housemaid’s Secret, the follow-up to its holiday thriller The Housemaid, with cameras expected to roll in 2026. The sequel adapts the second installment in Freida McFadden’s bestselling trilogy and has quietly been in development for several months.
The original film, led by Sydney Sweeney as Millie, was a major commercial success, earning more than $75 million domestically and $133 million worldwide in just over two weeks against a $35 million budget. The strong box office and online buzz quickly convinced the studio to continue Millie’s story. Michele Morrone is expected to reprise his role as Enzo, with Sweeney also returning as star and executive producer. Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar and Elizabeth Perkins rounded out the cast of the first film.
In “The Housemaid,” Sweeney played Millie, a young woman attempting to outrun her troubled past who takes a live-in job with affluent couple Nina and Andrew Winchester, only to uncover unsettling secrets. Morrone portrayed the family’s groundskeeper, who becomes one of Millie’s few allies. The film’s end credits, set to Taylor Swift’s song “I Did Something Bad” from Reputation, hint at the character’s next chapter.
For the sequel, screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshine is returning to adapt McFadden’s novel. Producers Todd Lieberman, Paul Feig and Laura Fischer are also back, with Feig once again directing. Sweeney and McFadden will executive produce alongside Hidden Pictures’ Carly Elter and Alex Young.
Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson said: “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. 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.”
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.”
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