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Freida McFadden’s “The Housemaid” is back to the top of bestseller lists again following the release of the film adaptation starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried.
The psychological thriller, originally a breakout hit when it first came out in 2022, is set on Long Island and centered on a down-on-her-luck young woman who takes a job as a live-in housemaid for an affluent couple only to unearth a labyrinth of deception and danger. The Lionsgate adaptation is directed by by Paul Feig and stars Sweeney as Millie Calloway and Seyfried as the mysterious Nina Winchester. The adaptation released on Dec. 19 opened to a robust $8 million domestic box office on Friday night.
Lionsgate acquired the rights to the book in 2022 in a competitive deal that signaled early studio confidence in the property, and by 2024 the adaptation had locked in its high-profile cast and creative team. Rebecca Sonnenshine, known for her work on “The Boys,” adapted the screenplay, with Feig, whose credits range from “A Simple Favor” to “Bridesmaids.”
With its theatrical debut fresh, “The Housemaid” has reentered bestseller lists, climbing not just for the original novel but also for its sequels: “The Housemaid’s Secret” and “The Housemaid Is Watching.” The franchise’s expanded universe, including spin-off stories and short fiction, has given readers reasons to revisit McFadden’s work and new readers a clear entry point into the world.
The adaptation is “a screw-tightening domestic thriller, is nothing more (or less) than a garishly fun and effective piece of postfeminist pulp,” wrote Variety film critic Owen Gleiberman in his review.
Purchase “The Housemaid” book series on Amazon.