Sydney Sweeney has a new hit franchise as 'Housemaid' sequel confirmed

After a string of negative headlines in 2025, Sydney Sweeney is kicking off the new year with a big win for her movie career.

A sequel to "The Housemaid," the twisty thriller starring Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, is in the works. Lionsgate confirmed the news on Tuesday, Jan. 6, and the studio is wasting no time getting the second film off the ground. The sequel has already been in development for the past few months, and it will go into production this year, according to a press release.

Sweeney is being eyed to return for the follow-up, as is director Paul Feig. Screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshine is also returning to pen the sequel. The first movie was based on the best-selling novel by Freida McFadden, and the sequel will adapt the subsequent book in her series, "The Housemaid's Secret," per the release.

"The Housemaid" stars Sweeney as a woman who goes to work as a live-in housemaid for a wealthy couple, played by Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar, only for it to become clear that it is not all as it seems. Since its release in December, the movie has become a sleeper hit at the box office, grossing more than $130 million worldwide to date.

"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," Feig said in the release. "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."

A release date for "The Housemaid's Secret" hasn't been confirmed.

The success of "The Housemaid" allowed Sweeney to end 2025 on a strong note after the 28-year-old "Euphoria" actress stirred controversy last year by appearing in a divisive American Eagle jeans ad, and in November, her film "Christy" had one of the worst box office debuts of all time. The sports biopic has also so far attracted little attention in awards season.

Should the "Housemaid" sequel be another hit, there's potential for more to come: A third book in the series, titled "The Housemaid Is Watching," was published in 2024.