Sydney Sweeney's latest R-rated thriller, "The Housemaid," is captivating audiences once again, this time dominating the streaming landscape. The film, which premiered on HBO Max on October 9, 2026, quickly ascended to the top spot on the platform's movie charts in the United States by October 11, according to streaming viewership tracker FlixPatrol, a position it maintained through October 12.
This streaming success marks another significant win for the Lionsgate production, which previously enjoyed a substantial box office performance. Directed by Paul Feig and written by Rebecca Sonnenshine, adapting Freida McFadden's 2022 novel of the same name, "The Housemaid" earned a remarkable $400.5 million worldwide against a modest $35 million budget following its December 2025 theatrical release. The film garnered positive reviews, solidifying its status as a critical and commercial hit.
"The Housemaid" centers on Millie Calloway, portrayed by Sydney Sweeney, a young woman with a past incarceration who takes on a live-in maid position for the affluent Winchester family. As Millie delves deeper into the lives of Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried) and her husband Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), the story unfolds into a series of unexpected and intense events.
Prior to its HBO Max debut, the film also had a streaming run on Starz, launching in April 2026. Its recent surge on HBO Max saw it surpass other popular titles like Kane Parsons' "Backrooms" and "Evil Dead Burn," which had previously held strong positions on the charts. As reported by Slashfilm, this resurgence on a major platform bodes well for the franchise's future.
Lionsgate has already greenlit a sequel, anticipated for release in December 2027. However, the follow-up, based on McFadden's novel "The Housemaid's Secret," presents a unique challenge: the book's narrative sees Millie Calloway working for a new family, notably excluding Amanda Seyfried's character, Nina Winchester, who was a standout in the original film. It remains to be seen how Feig and Lionsgate might navigate this to potentially bring Seyfried back into the fold, given her significant contribution to the first movie's appeal. For now, the studio can celebrate the continued popularity of the original film across platforms.