Sydney Sweeney (Anyone But You, Madame Web), Amanda Seyfried (Mean Girls, Jennifer’s Body), Brandon Sklenar (It Ends With Us, 1923), and Michele Morrone (365 Days, Subservience) star in the “sexy” psychological thriller The Housemaid for Lionsgate and director Paul Feig, whose credits include Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters, and A Simple Favor. Lionsgate will be releasing the film on December 19th – and the first reactions that have made their way online let us know this movie is a wild, twisted, insane, and campy ride. It’s based on the novel by Freida McFadden, and one of the most positive reactions has come from McFadden, who says the movie is better than her book!
Synopsis
The film has the following synopsis: In The Housemaid, Millie (Sydney Sweeney) is a struggling young woman who is relieved to get a fresh start as a housemaid to Nina (Amanda Seyfried) and Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), an upscale, wealthy couple. She soon learns that the family’s secrets are far more dangerous than her own. Rebecca Sonnenshine wrote the screenplay adaptation. Don’t like that synopsis and want another one? Here you go: The Housemaid is a wildly entertaining thriller starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, based on the best-selling book. From director Paul Feig, the film plunges audiences into a twisted world where perfection is an illusion, and nothing is as it seems. Trying to escape her past, Millie (Sweeney) accepts a job as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Nina (Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (Sklenar). But what begins as a dream job quickly unravels into something far more dangerous — a sexy, seductive game of secrets, scandal, and power. Behind the Winchesters’ closed doors lies a world of shocking twists that will leave you guessing until the very end.
Feig is producing the film with Todd Lieberman, Carly Kleinbart Elter, and Laura Fischer. Sweeney, Seyfried, and McFadden serve as executive producers with Alex Young. This one is coming our way from Lionsgate, Media Capital Technologies, Hidden Pictures, and Pretty Dangerous Pictures.
Author’s Reaction
After watching the movie, McFadden took to Instagram to let her followers know, “I absolutely LOVED it! The second it was over, I turned to my husband in the theater and said, “Omg, I think it was better than the book!” (And he said, “Yeah.”) They captured everything that readers love about the novel! And the performances by all the actors were nothing short of incredible. It (almost) made me want to write another Housemaid book. (Almost!) The only problem is, I don’t know how I’m going to be able to wait until December 19 to get to watch it again!” It’s high praise when an author says the movie is better than their book – and even her husband agreed that it was better!
If The Housemaid does well at the box office, there’s franchise potential here, as McFadden has written multiple follow-ups to her novel: The Housemaid’s Secret, The Housemaid’s Wedding, and The Housemaid is Watching. I’m not familiar with the source material, but this movie sounds like a good time to me. I was already sold on The Housemaid a long time ago and will be watching it for sure.
What do you think of The Housemaid author Freida McFadden saying the movie is better than her book? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
