Lionsgate has announced that ”The Housemaid’s Secret,” the follow-up to 2023’s sleeper hit thriller ”The Housemaid,” will hit theaters on December 17, 2027. The original film, a suspenseful R-rated thriller starring Sydney Sweeney, earned nearly $400 million worldwide from a $35 million budget, proving that counter-programming during the holiday season still works.
This sequel arrives exactly four years after the first installment and promises to continue the dark, twisted story based on Freida McFadden’s bestselling novels. Sweeney returns as Millie, the live-in maid whose new role is to care for a mysterious woman she’s forbidden to meet. The stakes rise as the locked door conceals secrets even darker than those uncovered in the original story. Joining Sweeney are Michele Morrone, reprising his role, and newcomer Kirsten Dunst.
Director Paul Feig is back at the helm, alongside screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshine who adapted the first film’s screenplay. Production is slated to begin later this year, with Lionsgate positioning the film as counter-programming during a crowded December release window, competing against blockbuster franchises like Marvel’s ”Avengers: Secret Wars” and the anticipated ”Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.”
Lionsgate’s ambition is clear: to expand ”The Housemaid” into a franchise with plans to adapt more of McFadden’s novels, including the third book, ”The Housemaid Is Watching.” This strategy of banking on suspense thrillers as high-profile holiday alternatives reflects a potential ongoing trend of studios seeking to diversify beyond superhero tentpoles.
Release date and cast of ”The Housemaid’s Secret”
- Release date: December 17, 2027
- Returning cast: Sydney Sweeney as Millie, Michele Morrone
- New cast member: Kirsten Dunst
- Director: Paul Feig
- Screenwriter: Rebecca Sonnenshine
The Housemaid sequel plot and source material
The sequel continues the story of Millie, the live-in maid, whose new role involves caring for a mysterious woman she is instructed not to meet. The plot deepens the suspense by revealing darker secrets behind a locked door, building on the narrative established in the first film. The story is based on bestselling novels by Freida McFadden.
Lionsgate’s strategy for holiday thriller releases
Lionsgate plans to position ”The Housemaid’s Secret” as counter-programming during a competitive December release schedule, aiming to appeal to audiences looking for suspense thrillers alongside major blockbusters like Marvel’s ”Avengers: Secret Wars” and ”Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.” The studio also intends to build a franchise based on McFadden’s novels, diversifying its holiday offerings.