Sidney Sweeney, director Paul Feig to continue

“The Housemaid” star Sidney Sweeney and director Paul Feig did something bad that felt so good that Lionsgate is letting them do it again.

Thanks to box office success for psychological thrillers, “The Housemaid” grossed $133 million in its first two-and-a-half weeks of release. The studio has given the green light for a sequel film titled “The Housemaid’s Secret.” The project, the second in Frieda McFadden’s best-selling trilogy, has been in development for the past few months, and Lionsgate plans to begin production later this year with Feig and Sweeney and Michelle Morrone reprising their roles.

In The Housemaid, Sweeney plays Millie, a young woman trying to escape her past when she is recruited to work as a live-in housekeeper in the home of wealthy Nina (Amanda Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (Brandon Skelner), both of whom harbor dangerous secrets. Morrone plays Enzo, a groundskeeper for the Winchesters who becomes a key ally of Millie. Elizabeth Perkins also stars in the R-rated film, which grossed an astonishing $75.7 million in North America and $133 million worldwide against a budget of $35 million. Taylor Swift’s “Reputation” song “I Did Something Bad” appears in the film’s end credits, which preview Millie’s next steps.

“From the worldwide box office numbers and outpouring of response on social media, it’s clear that audiences have responded strongly to the completely unique and truly theatrical experience of ‘The Housemaid’ and are eager to see what happens next,” Adam Fogelson, chairman of Lionsgate’s film group, said in a statement announcing the green light.

“We believed in these stories from the beginning, and we’re thrilled to be working with our incredible creative partners Todd, Paul, Laura, Carly, Alex and Sydney to bring the next chapter of Millie’s story to life on screen,” Fogelson continued. “‘The Housemaid’s Secret’ is another highly thrilling book in Frida’s series that has captivated readers around the world, and we look forward to translating it into an equally exciting and raucous cinematic experience.”

Screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshein is returning to adapt the sequel for producers Todd Lieberman of Hidden Pictures and Feig and Laura Fisher of Pretty Dangerous Pictures. Sweeney and McFadden will return as executive producers alongside Hidden Pictures’ Carly Elter and Alex Young.

“It’s so gratifying to see audiences around the world fall in love with The Housemaid and the incredible work of our talented cast and crew,” Feig said. “Frida McFadden has already expanded on Milly’s journey on paper, and we’re fortunate to be working with Rebecca Sonnenschein and Lionsgate to bring this next story to audiences.”

Director Lieberman said: “We are thrilled with this reception and extremely proud of the outstanding work of our entire team, from Frieda McFadden to our partners at Lionsgate, as well as Paul and Laura. The most rewarding part was seeing how strongly audiences connected with this film.”

At the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Seyfried confirmed that a sequel is almost certainly in the works.

“Nobody’s saying anything about number two, but I guarantee you there’s a number two,” Seyfried told Variety’s Marc Malkin on Saturday. “And I’m almost certainly going to have a small cameo in this one, because it’s the story of Sid and her working for a new family. And there’s a lot going on, especially with Enzo, played by Michele,” she explained. “I really want to know how she keeps Nina Winchester in her pocket, because I’ll get back to that.”