Lionsgate is taking The Housemaid from screen to stage. The studio is developing a stage adaptation of the psychological thriller for live theatre. British production company Melting Pot and playwright Bekah Brunstetter are set to helm the project.
Melting Pot is run by Tony winner Hanna Osmolska, producer Simon Friend and Tony nominee Brunstetter. The company comprises the award-winning Life of Pi play, plus the upcoming Paranormal Activity Broadway production.
Brunstetter, who adapted The Notebook into a Broadway musical, will write the stage treatment. The play draws from both the 2022 novel by Freida McFadden and the film coming out in December 2025.
In the story, Millie Calloway (Sydney Sweeney), becomes the live-in housemaid of a wealthy family with a dark secret. The film also features Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone, and Elizabeth Perkins, and was directed by Paul Feig.
The numbers for the film were phenomonal.
The film’s numbers were hard to argue against. After Lionsgate spent roughly $35 million on the production, the movie went on to gross more than 11× its budget. It closed at a whopping $398.2 million worldwide. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 73 % Certified Fresh score, along with a 92 % audience approval rating. After its theatrical run, the film remained stayed on top in streaming. It was in the Top 10 on Amazon and Apple digital platforms for over 100 days.
Friend made clear what draws him to the material on stage. He said, “When I first read ‘The Housemaid,’ it was exhilarating,” noting how the story’s single claustrophobic location and twisty plot naturally suit the format of a stage thriller.
“The Housemaid has all the elements for a successful stage adaptation – a blockbuster title, compelling characters, and a story full of twists and turns that builds tension and momentum in a way that naturally lends itself to the stage,”
“This project reflects how our hit films and IP can be transformed into novel experiences. We’re excited to collaborate with Simon, Hanna, and Bekah to bring The Housemaid to theatre‑goers in a new and intimate way.”
said Jenefer Brown, Lionsgate’s President, Global Products & Experiences
“I’m so thrilled to be bringing this gripping, emotional, strange, and even funny story to the stage. Not only have I fallen in love with the adaptation process and bringing books to life on both stage and screen, I’m extremely excited to dig into The Housemaid‘s incredibly universal themes of jealousy, the pain of desire, and the traumas that connect us.”
Playwright Bekah Brunstetter added
Stage adaptations are not the only way Lionsgate is expanding the franchise. The studio has also announced they’re bringing the next book in McFadden’s trilogy, The Housemaid’s Secret, to the big screen. Of course with Sweeney and Feig returning. Production will begin at the end of the year. The film is slated to be released in theaters on December 17, 2027.
The studio recently opened The Hunger Games: On Stage store in Canary Wharf. And they are also working on a North American tour of a new stage production of Dirty Dancing in August. THIS is the next title adding to that growing invasion.
