Sydney Sweeney has been waiting for this one, and so have I. The Housemaid’s Secret, the sequel to last year’s hit psychological thriller The Housemaid, has officially started shooting, and Sweeney celebrated the occasion with director Paul Feig in a video that looks considerably more cheerful than anything involving a locked door and a suspiciously wealthy family should.
The official Housemaid movie account shared the video alongside the announcement that production is underway. Sweeney and Feig dance around in anticipation of getting started, with someone declaring, “Oh, I’ve been waiting for this!” It’s a rather enthusiastic way to kick off a movie about a housemaid whose new job is about to become deeply unsettling. Then again, if you’ve ever read a Freida McFadden novel, you know that the people involved may as well enjoy themselves before the secrets start coming out.
Sweeney is returning as Millie, the housemaid whose employment with a wealthy family turned into a nightmare in The Housemaid. Michele Morrone is also back as Enzo, the groundskeeper who became one of Millie’s allies. People has already published the first set photos of the pair filming together in Hoboken, New Jersey, on October 14. In the images, Enzo kisses Millie on the forehead while the two appear to be having a serious conversation. Whether that’s a moment of genuine affection or the calm before another spectacular disaster remains to be seen.
The sequel is based on The Housemaid’s Secret, Freida McFadden’s 2023 follow-up novel. Millie takes another housekeeping job, this time for a woman she is never allowed to see. Naturally, the arrangement becomes much more concerning when Millie begins to uncover the truth behind the locked door and the secrets that could put her in danger.
Paul Feig is returning to direct, with the cast expanding to include Kirsten Dunst, Paul Anthony Kelly, Stephen Kalyn and Brittany Snow. Kelly plays Douglas Garrick, while Kalyn has been cast as Brock and Snow as Marybeth. Dunst’s role has not been disclosed.
Feig has made a career out of moving between comedy and suspense, from Bridesmaids to A Simple Favor, so he knows a thing or two about letting seemingly normal people make increasingly questionable decisions. The original Housemaid also proved to be a major box office success, grossing more than $400 million worldwide. That kind of performance makes a sequel an easy decision for a studio, even if Millie’s choice of employers continues to raise serious questions for anyone in human resources.
The new movie adapts the second book in McFadden’s series, which means it has a fresh domestic mystery to unravel rather than simply repeating the first film’s story. There’s no word yet on whether any familiar faces from the original will return beyond the announced cast, and the filmmakers are keeping the details of Millie’s latest assignment under wraps.
The Housemaid’s Secret is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 17, 2027. That gives audiences a little over a year to wait for Millie’s next unfortunate career opportunity. If the first film taught us anything, it’s that you should probably ask a few more questions before accepting a job that comes with a list of things you’re not allowed to know. I’m so ready for this. In my old age, this has become my favorite genre.
