Sydney Sweeney is set to return in a newly announced sequel to the psychological thriller The Housemaid, with the follow-up promising a darker, more explosive chapter in the franchise as new secrets come to light.
Lionsgate has greenlit the sequel, titled The Housemaid’s Secret, following the strong box-office performance of the first film, which adapted Freida McFadden’s bestselling novel about live-in housekeeper Millie and the wealthy Winchester family. The original, directed by Paul Feig and released in late 2025, became a word-of-mouth hit and was credited with driving renewed interest in McFadden’s “Housemaid” trilogy.
In the sequel, Sweeney will reprise her role as Millie, who now encounters a new, seemingly perfect household with its own hidden dangers. Early studio positioning suggests the second film will lean into a more intense, “fiery” tone as Millie navigates higher emotional stakes and more sinister revelations. The narrative is based on McFadden’s second book, also titled The Housemaid’s Secret, which shifts the action to a different family while keeping Millie at the center of the story.
Feig is expected to return to the director’s chair, maintaining continuity of the franchise’s sleek, suspense-driven style. Screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshine, who adapted the first film, is also back to translate McFadden’s darker sequel to the screen, signaling a creative team intent on deepening Millie’s arc and expanding the thriller’s psychological scope.
Production is targeting a 2026 start, with studio insiders eyeing a late-2026 or 2027 theatrical release window, subject to Sweeney’s increasingly busy schedule. The actor, who has publicly embraced Millie as one of her most “spicy” and combative characters, is also involved behind the scenes, strengthening her role as a driving creative force in the franchise’s future.
Supporting cast details are still being finalized. Michele Morrone is expected to return as Enzo, while Amanda Seyfried’s Nina Winchester—central to the first film but less prominent in the second novel—is likely to appear in a smaller capacity or cameo. The storyline, however, is designed to stand on its own, focusing on Millie’s new employers and a fresh set of secrets that test her resilience and moral boundaries.
The sequel arrives amid growing enthusiasm for female-led psychological thrillers and continues the trend of popular “BookTok” properties crossing over into mainstream cinema. With a built-in fan base from McFadden’s novels and the first film’s success, The Housemaid’s Secret is positioned as one of the more closely watched genre releases on the coming slate, promising audiences a harsher spotlight on class, power, and the volatile dynamics inside locked-door households as Millie’s world grows more dangerous—and her choices more combustible.