After playing John F. Kennedy in FX and Ryan Murphy’s Love Story TV miniseries, Paul Anthony Kelly’s Hollywood dance card is filling up fast. Today, Lionsgate announced that Kelly will star alongside Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria, The Housemaid, Anyone But You) and Kirsten Dunst (Civil War, The Interview with the Vampire, A Minecraft Movie 2) in the anticipated sequel The Housemaid’s Secret. In addition to Kelly, Sweeney, and Dunst, Michele Monroe is also reprising his role as Enzo from 2025’s The Housemaid.
Who are the creative forces behind The Housemaid’s Secret?
Paul Feig, who directed last year’s The Housemaid, will return to direct the sequel. Hidden Pictures’ Todd Lieberman, Laura Fischer, and Feig will produce the project via Pretty Dangerous Pictures, while Sweeney produces through her Honey Trap studio. Screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshine, who adapted the first book, will also return to write The Housemaid’s Secret, based on the bestseller by Freida McFadden.
Lionsgate identified and optioned Freida McFadden’s literary trilogy (plus a fourth entry, a short story) early on, long before the books became New York Times bestsellers, recognizing the series’ massive potential. With The Housemaid’s Secret set to enter production later this year, the studio anticipates adapting even more of McFadden’s beloved thrillers from the world of The Housemaid in the years ahead.
What’s The Housemaid’s Secret about?
Here’s the official synopsis for The Housemaid’s Secret, courtesy of Lionsgate:
“In The Housemaid’s Secret, Millie returns, taking a job keeping house for a woman she’s never allowed to see—only to discover the truth behind the locked door that threatens to expose secrets far darker than her own.”
Feig’s adaptation of Frieda McFadden’s The Housemaid grossed $400 million at the global box office. When the movie arrived last year, it was a significant hit with audiences, though some diehard fans of McFadden’s trilogy said it failed to capture the novel’s intensity. Our editor-in-chief, Chris Bumbray, reviewed The Housemaid last year, saying, “audiences that see The Housemaid will likely be split in half. Some will think this is the dumbest movie they’ve ever seen and utterly dismiss it. But those who appreciate good trash and camp will have a good time. This isn’t trying to be Gone Girl or even Fatal Attraction. It’s more like the most psychotic lost episode of Dynasty you never saw, and for what it is, I had a good time.”
Are you excited to see The Housemaid’s Secret? Is Paul Anthony Kelly a good addition to the cast? Let us know in the comments section below.
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