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EXCLUSIVE: Hot disconnected his breakout move arsenic John F. Kennedy Jr. successful FX’s Love Story, Paul Anthony Kelly has inked a woody to join The Housemaid’s Secret, Lionsgate‘s sequel to its caller vacation container agency hit The Housemaid, based connected nan bestseller by Freida McFadden.
Kelly joins a formed led by nan returning Sydney Sweeney and newcomer Kirsten Dunst. Making his characteristic movie debut, he will play Douglas Garrick, nan billionaire hubby of Dunst’s Wendy, and nan caller employer of our housemaid protagonist, Millie (Sweeney).
Paul Feig is returning to nonstop nan sequel, moving from a book by The Housemaid adapter Rebecca Sonnenshine, based connected nan 2nd caller successful McFadden’s bestselling thriller trilogy. Producers see Hidden Pictures’ Todd Lieberman; Laura Fischer and Feig for Pretty Dangerous Pictures; and Sweeney, done her recently launched Honey Trap banner.
Also returning to nan formed is Michele Morrone, who plays Millie’s state turned emotion interest, Enzo.
Carly Elter, who oversaw nan first movie for Hidden Pictures, is returning arsenic executive producer. Alex Young of Hidden Pictures will besides exec produce, pinch Honey Trap’s Kaylee McGregor co-producing, and Chelsea Kujawa and Maria Ascanio overseeing nan movie for Lionsgate. It’s slated to unfastened successful wide merchandise connected December 17, 2027.
Feig’s adjustment of The Housemaid, co-starring Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar, collapsed retired large astatine nan container agency this past December, grossing complete $400M, pinch Lionsgate quickly greenlighting nan sequel. Based connected McFadden’s 2022 page-turner, nan movie plunges audiences into a twisted world wherever perfection is an illusion, and thing is arsenic it seems. Trying to flight her past, Millie (Sweeney) accepts a occupation arsenic a live-in housemaid for nan able Nina (Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (Sklenar). But what originates arsenic a dream occupation quickly unravels into thing acold much vulnerable — a sexy, seductive crippled of secrets, scandal, and power.
In The Housemaid’s Secret, Millie returns, taking a occupation keeping location for yet different female she’s ne'er allowed to spot — only to observe nan truth down nan locked doorway that threatens to expose secrets acold darker than her own.
The Housemaid books person sold complete 12 cardinal units. Translated into 40 languages, sequel The Housemaid’s Secret has been a New York Times bestseller for much than 70 weeks and won nan 2023 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Thriller. McFadden published nan 3rd book successful nan series, The Housemaid Is Watching, successful 2024.
Lionsgate identified and optioned McFadden’s literate trilogy (plus a 4th entry, a short story) agelong earlier nan books gained traction, recognizing nan series’ potential, and with The Housemaid’s Secret set to participate accumulation later this year, anticipates adapting much of McFadden’s Housemaid thrillers.
Kelly is riding precocious this year, pinch Emmy buzz for his first large starring domiciled other Sarah Pidgeon successful Ryan Murphy’s Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. He landed nan portion of JFK Jr. aft a months-long hunt involving astir 1,000 actors — formed arsenic a newcomer conscionable a fewer weeks retired from production, aft 13 years spent moving toward his breakthrough moment.
Clearly impressed pinch Kelly’s work, Murphy has already enlisted him for a domiciled successful nan adjacent play of his long-running American Horror Story. The character is repped by Innovative Artists, Luber Roklin, and Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz.
