Sydney Sweeney’s R-Rated Thriller Sequel Officially Unveils First Look At New & Returning Major Characters

Published Oct 15, 2026, 4:22 PM EDT Matthew Rudoy is one of ScreenRant's Movie & TV News Editors. He covers the latest in movie & TV news, with a focus on major franchises like Star Wars, The Boys, and Game of Thrones, and also writes some features and reviews. He wrote lists for ScreenRant from 2017-2022, became a news writer in 2023, a senior staff writer in 2024, and an editor in 2025. The official first look has arrived for The Housemaid's Secret. Sydney Sweeney played Millie Calloway in the R-rated thriller The Housemaid, based on Freida McFadden's novel of the same name. The movie became a major box office hit, grossing $400.5 million against a $35 million budget. This success led to the sequel The Housemaid's Secret, also based on one of McFadden's novels, being greenlit. It features Sweeney reprising the role of Millie, along with Paul Feig returning to direct. Lionsgate has now confirmed that filming is underway and provided a behind-the-scenes video featuring Sweeney mouthing "I've been waiting for this" on set as she goes to hug her new co-star Kirsten Dunst, followed by shots of Feig and newcomers Paul Anthony Kelly, Michele Morrone, Brittany Snow, and Stephen Kalyn dancing. All the actors are in costume, giving a first look at their respective characters. Check out the video below: The new characters include Mrs. Garrick (Dunst), Douglas Garrick (Kelly), Marybeth (Snow), Brock (Kalyn), while Morrone reprises his role as Enzo from the first film. In the sequel, Millie has taken on a housekeeping job for a woman she never sees, which leads to a truth behind a locked door poised to expose secrets darker than her own. The Housemaid's Secret releases in theaters on December 17, 2027, almost exactly two years after its predecessor. Rebecca Sonnenshine, who wrote the screenplay for the first movie, wrote the screenplay for The Housemaid's Secret. Sweeney is once again producing through her Honey Trap production banner and is rejoined by producers Feig and Laura Fischer of Pretty Dangerous Pictures, Todd Leiberman and Carly Elter of Hidden Pictures. Alex Young of Hidden Pictures will also executive produce, while Honey Trap’s Kaylee McGregor will co-produce. Before McFadden's novels became New York Times bestsellers, Lionsgate optioned her trilogy and a corresponding short story. Given the success of the first movie and with The Housemaid's Secret now in production less than a year later, the series has proven to be a major win for the studio, and more adaptations will likely follow. Choose the movie with the higher Rotten Tomatoes score. Along with its exceptional box office performance, the 2025 movie was well-received, as per the "Certified Fresh" 74% critics' score and "Verified Hot" 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. In ScreenRant's The Housemaid review, Graeme Guttmann gave the movie seven out of 10 stars and praised how "Feig's light touch and Seyfried's committed performance add an air of deranged enjoyment that make The Housemaid one of the most fun movies of 2025." Seyfried played Nina Winchester, the wealthy woman who hires Millie, while Brandon Sklenar played her husband, Andrew Winchester. As for the new cast members joining Sweeney and Morrone in The Housemaid's Secret, Dunst has another major movie sequel coming up with A Minecraft Movie Squared, which is also releasing in 2027. Kelly is coming off playing John F. Kennedy Jr. in Love Story and is now starring in American Horror Story season 13. Snow is reprising her role of Sophie O'Neil in Netflix's The Hunting Wives season 2, while Kalyn starred in Prime Video's new breakout hit Off Campus, and both of these series have been renewed for subsequent seasons. The Housemaid's Secret releases in theaters on December 17, 2027. Release Date December 17, 2027 Director Paul Feig Writers Rebecca Sonnenshine Producers Todd Lieberman, Paul Feig, Laura Fischer