Sydney Sweeney, Director Paul Feig to Return

“Housemaidstar Sydney Sweeney and director Paul Feig did something bad and I was so glad that Lionsgate would let them do it again.

Thanks to the box office success of the psychological thriller “The Maid” grossed $133 million within the first two and a half weeks of release, the studio greenlit a sequel called The Maid's Secret. The project, based on the second novel from Frieda McFadden's bestselling novel, has been in development for the past few months, with Lionsgate planning to begin production later this year.

In Maid, Sweeney played Millie, a young woman trying to escape her past who is hired to work as a maid for the wealthy Nina (Amanda Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (Brandon Skelnar), who have dangerous secrets of their own. Michelle Morrone and Elizabeth Perkins also star in the R-rated film, which earned an impressive $75.7 million in North America and $133 million worldwide against a $35 million budget.

Taylor Swift's “Reputation” track “I Did Something Bad” is featured in the end credits as the film teases Millie's next steps.

“It's clear from both the global box office and social media posts that audiences have responded strongly—and loudly—to the completely unique and truly theatrical experience of 'The Maid' and are eager to know what's next,” Lionsgate film group chairman Adam Fogelson said in a statement announcing the green light.

“We believed in these stories from the beginning, and we are thrilled to bring the next chapter of Millie’s story to life on screen in collaboration with our outstanding creative partners Todd, Paul, Laura, Carly, Alex and Sydney,” Fogelson continued. “The Maid's Secret is another incredibly exciting book in the Frida series that has captivated readers around the world, and we look forward to translating it into an equally uplifting and exuberant movie-going experience.”

Screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenschein will return to adapt the sequel for producers Todd Lieberman of Hidden Pictures and Feig and Laura Fisher of Pretty Dangerous Pictures. Sweeney and McFadden return as executive producers along with Hidden Pictures' Carly Elter and Alex Young.

“It’s been thrilling to see audiences around the world fall in love with The Maid and the incredible work of our talented cast and crew,” Feig said in a statement. “We're fortunate that Frieda McFadden has already extended Millie's journey on paper, and that we can work with Rebecca Sonnenschein and Lionsgate to bring the next story to audiences.”

Lieberman added: “We're thrilled with the reception and incredibly proud of this entire team, from Frieda McFadden to our partners at Lionsgate, and the outstanding work of Paul and Laura. The best part is seeing how much audiences feel connected to the film.”

At the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Seyfried confirmed that a sequel is all but guaranteed.

“Nobody has said anything about No. 2, but I guarantee there will be a No. 2,” Seyfried said. Diversity Mark Malkin on Saturday. “And I can almost guarantee that I'll have a small cameo in this movie because it's about Sid and her working for her new family. And there's so much going on, especially with Michelle's character Enzo,” she explained. “I really want to watch her keep Nina Winchester in her pocket because I'll fucking jump back into this.”