Sydney Sweeney’s $398M R-Rated Franchise Officially Expands After Grossing 11x Its Budget

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Sydney Sweeney achieved major success in late 2025 with a film adaptation of a popular novel. The movie was a huge hit with audiences and quickly led to plans for a follow-up.

The popular story of The Housemaid isn’t finished yet. In addition to Freida McFadden’s successful books and Sweeney’s thrilling novel, it’s also becoming a play, according to recent reports.

The stage adaptation of The Housemaid is being developed by British production company Melting Pot, led by Simon Friend and Hanna Osmolska (known for their work on Broadway’s Life of Pi and Paranormal Activity), and playwright Bekah Brunstetter (Broadway’s The Notebook). Unlike some productions, this version won’t have a traditional premiere. It will draw inspiration from both the original novel and the film adaptation, which share many similarities.

Jenefer Brown, head of global products and experiences at Lionsgate, announced that The Housemaid is being adapted for the stage. She believes the popular film has everything needed for a successful play – a well-known title, interesting characters, and a suspenseful, fast-paced story that will translate well to a live performance. This project demonstrates how Lionsgate can turn its successful movies and stories into new and exciting experiences.

The Housemaid Keeps Thriving

I remember when this film first came out in theaters on December 19th, 2025 – it was an immediate sensation! What’s really incredible is that Lionsgate only invested $35 million to make it, and it went on to earn over $398 million worldwide. That’s more than eleven times its budget – a truly fantastic result, and a real testament to how much people loved it.

The Housemaid resonated with both loyal fans of the series and those who enjoy psychological thrillers. It received a ‘Certified Fresh’ rating of 73% on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences loved it even more, giving it a 92% approval and a ‘Verified Hot’ badge. Following a successful theatrical run, the film became incredibly popular online and broke viewership records when it debuted on Starz.

It’s common for popular novels to be adapted into stage plays, and given the success of the thriller The Housemaid, a stage version feels like a natural next step, along with a potential sequel. The Housemaid isn’t alone – many hit movies like Dirty Dancing, Mean Girls, La La Land, and The Hunger Games have also been successfully adapted for the stage.

The novel The Housemaid centers around a young woman with a hidden past who takes a job as a live-in maid for a seemingly perfect, wealthy family. However, beneath the surface, their lives are more complicated than they appear.

The Housemaid is streaming on Starz.

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2026-05-19 18:38