Female viewers drove “The Housemaid” to become Starz’s best-performing Pay 1 film debut ever, marking a major win for the platform in customer acquisitions and streaming viewership after its first week.
The psychological thriller, based on Freida McFadden’s best-selling novel, has driven record-breaking subscriber acquisitions and streaming viewership since its April 1 debut on the Starz app and across its on-demand platforms, the company announced Thursday. The film arrived on the service as part of the streamer’s multi-year theatrical output deal with Lionsgate, following its $399 million worldwide box office run in theaters.
Directed by Paul Feig, “The Housemaid” stars Sydney Sweeney as Millie, a young woman attempting to rebuild her life after a troubled past. She takes a job as a live-in housemaid for Nina Winchester, played by Amanda Seyfried, but what initially appears to be a fresh start quickly spirals into a dangerous web of secrets, manipulation and shifting power dynamics. The film leans into its twist-heavy premise, revealing the darker truths lurking beneath the polished surface of the Winchester household.
The cast also includes Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone and Elizabeth Perkins. And a sequel is already a go at Lionsgate, with Sweeney returning and Kirsten Dunst being announced late last month as a co-star. Feig will return to direct the project, as will the producers: Hidden Pictures’ Todd Lieberman; Feig, who produces through his Pretty Dangerous Pictures, and his partner, Laura Fischer; and Sweeney, through her Fifty-Fifty Films banner. Screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshine, who adapted the first book, will also return to write.
According to Starz, the success of “The Housemaid” has been fueled largely by female audiences, reinforcing the platform’s positioning as a destination for women-driven storytelling. The company has increasingly leaned into that strategy, curating a mix of original programming, theatrical acquisitions and established franchises aimed at underserved viewers.
“The Housemaid” joins a growing lineup of films on the platform, including “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” “Good Fortune” and “The Long Walk.” Meanwhile, new episodes from the final season of the long-running hit “Outlander” continue to roll out weekly.
