Sydney Sweeney’s ‘The Housemaid’ Set to Outshine Lionsgate Rivals

Sydney Sweeney’s turn in The Housemaid is generating considerable excitement, with the film on track to deliver Lionsgate’s most impressive opening of the year. The much-anticipated thriller, directed by Paul Feig and featuring Amanda Seyfried, is projected to earn between $20 million and $25 million across 3,000 cinemas during its first weekend. With a production budget of $35 million, expectations are running high for this adaptation of Freida McFadden’s bestselling novel.

Box Office Prospects and Recent Comparisons

Should these forecasts hold, the film will comfortably surpass the studio’s previous 2025 releases. Mark Wahlberg’s Flight Risk managed $12 million from 3,161 North American venues in its opening days, while Ana de Armas’s Ballerina drew $24.5 million from 3,409 locations. Although Ballerina performed respectably, it fell short of initial hopes, leaving the door open for Sweeney’s latest project to claim the top spot for the year.

To secure this title, The Housemaid must edge past Ballerina’s debut figures. The question remains: will this stylish thriller manage to do so and become the studio’s standout release of 2025?

Plot, Cast, and Critical Response

The story centres on Millie Calloway, played by Sweeney, a young woman with a chequered past who takes a job with the affluent Winchester family. Her new role quickly becomes complicated as she uncovers unsettling secrets lurking within the household. The cast also includes Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone, and Elizabeth Perkins, with a screenplay by Rebecca Sonnenshine.

Sweeney described the film as “juicy and delicious,” adding,

If you want to be able to go and have a good time … you’re going to be screaming at the screen, you’re going to be laughing, you’re going to be crying. There’s so much that we give everybody. So, it’s a good emotional cleanse for yourself

Her enthusiasm appears well-founded, as critics have responded positively. The film has earned a Certified Fresh badge on Rotten Tomatoes, boasting a 78% rating. The consensus reads:

A sly throwback to the lurid thrillers that used to dominate multiplexes, The Housemaid cleans up nicely thanks to its wicked sense of fun and a delightfully unnerving performance from Amanda Seyfried

Audiences have also responded warmly, awarding it a 90% score on the Popcornmeter and praising its cast, cinematography, and suspenseful pacing.

Author’s Reaction and Audience Buzz

Freida McFadden, whose novel inspired the film, has expressed her delight with the adaptation. After attending a preview, she admitted to being thoroughly impressed, even suggesting the film surpassed her own book. She shared,

The second it was over, I turned to my husband in the theatre and said, ‘Omg, I think it was better than the book!’ (And he said, ‘Yeah.’)

Such praise from the original author is rare, adding to the growing anticipation surrounding the release.

With Sweeney’s performance drawing acclaim and the film’s reception from both critics and the public, The Housemaid is shaping up to be one of the year’s most talked-about releases. Whether it will ultimately claim the title of Lionsgate’s biggest opening remains to be seen, but it is certainly off to a promising start.

The Housemaid is now showing in cinemas.