In a major surprise at the box office, director Paul Feig's latest thriller The Housemaid, starring Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar in lead roles has hit and broken the $300 million milestone. In the US, it has earned $116 million while its overseas revenue stands at an impressive $189.1 million, indicating a strong interest in watching the film by audiences worldwide.
An adaptation of Freida McFadden's eponymous first novel in her best-selling trilogy, the film has become a highly-profitable venture for Lionsgate Studios as it was made in a budget of just $35 million. The Housemaid released in theatres ahead of Christmas in the US and January 2 in India and quickly climbed to the No.1 position in many countries globally. The film has become the top-grossing film in Feig as well as Sweeney's careers, trumping her romantic drama Anyone But You (2023), which earned $220 million.
In The Housemaid, Sweeney stars as Millie, a woman who is trying to escape her past. She accepts a job as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Nina (Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar). But what begins as a dream job quickly unravels into something far more dangerous – a sexy, seductive game of secrets, scandal, and power. Elizabeth Perkins and Michele Morrone also star in key roles in the film
Previously, Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood also achieved a $392 million landmark, but Sweeney played only a brief role in Leonardo DiCaprio-Brad Pitt-led film. The success of The Housemaid comes shortly after the box office disaster of Christy, where she portrayed boxer Christy Martin which managed to only earn $1.9 million.
Meanwhile, a sequel of the film titled The Housemaid's Secret is currently in the works from director Paul Feig. Based on Freida McFadden’s second novel in the trilogy, it will see the return of Sweeney and co-star Michele Morrone.
