From Bestseller to Blockbuster: The Housemaid Author’s The Divorce Heads to Hollywood

If you thought Freida McFadden mania peaked with The Housemaid movie, buckle up—because Hollywood isn’t done mining her book shelf. After last year’s monster adaptation of The Housemaid (the one that hit nearly $400 million at the box office, with Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried putting in seriously unsettling performances), McFadden is officially on the shortlist of authors every studio wants in business with. Actually, Freida McFadden is the pen name of Sara Cohen—probably a weird bit of trivia for some, but hey, if you’ve published over 30 thrillers by 2026, you deserve a secret identity.

The Next Novel Up: The Divorce

Naturally, the cash-in sequel to The Housemaid (The Housemaid’s Secret) is already in the works at Lionsgate, but there’s another project getting the red carpet treatment—and a proper studio bidding brawl. McFadden’s forthcoming book, The Divorce, isn’t out until May 26, but that didn’t stop a feeding frenzy for the movie rights. According to folks at The Hollywood Reporter, Studiocanal ended up winning that race and will not only finance but co-produce the adaptation with Working Title. For those keeping score: that’s two studios, one book, and a whole lot of lawyers (hopefully none as cutthroat as the ones in her books).

Why the Hype? The Book’s Premise Is…

If you’re into nail-biting thrillers with more “wait, what?” moments than most streaming series, McFadden’s new story seems to fit her brand perfectly. The official description is basically psychological-thriller catnip: a woman gets kicked to the curb by her husband (who promptly shacks up with someone much younger, naturally) and instead of licking her wounds, she starts investigating the new girlfriend. Obsession? Check. Dangerous secrets? You bet. The kind of dark left-turns that made The Housemaid such a word-of-mouth hit? That’s the promise—at least if you believe the pre-release blurb.

'Naomi was living the quintessential love story. Boy meets girl. They fall in love, get married, buy a dream house, start a family…
Then—he kicks her out, hires the city’s best divorce lawyers, drains their accounts, and takes up with a 20-something.
It’s a brutal end to the story. Naomi should accept defeat: move into a dingy apartment, get back into the workforce, and piece together the shattered remains of her life. Except, why should she?
Instead, Naomi fixates on her husband’s new girlfriend. What begins as cynical curiosity soon twists into obsession—and then into something far darker. As Naomi uncovers secrets she never imagined, she realizes her own life may be in danger.'

How Did We Get Here?

• Freida McFadden publishes a stack of bestsellers under a pen name (real name: Sara Cohen), racking up more than 30 novels and stories by 2026.
• The Housemaid movie, starring Sweeney and Seyfried, blows up in theaters and online—almost $400 million worldwide, plus tons of streaming eyeballs.
• Lionsgate jumps on a sequel (The Housemaid’s Secret). Meanwhile, McFadden’s star keeps rising, publishers and studios start drooling over her next book.
• Studiocanal and Working Title outbid the competition to land the rights to The Divorce before the book has even hit shelves.

This Could Get Weird (In a Good Way)

So, if you were surprised to see a new McFadden thriller snapped up before its official release announcement even went cold, you’re not alone. Studios are apparently betting that anything with her name on it brings big numbers and quick development. It’ll be interesting to see which actors they rope in for The Divorce. (No attachments yet, but the casting watch is on.)

As always, if you’re a fan of mind games, domestic chaos, and characters who are a little too good at hiding secrets, this adaptation is going to be one to watch. Consider this your early heads-up: the McFadden cinematic universe is just getting started.

This is an unfolding story—I’ll update if anything wild happens with the cast or production.