Lionsgate's latest film, The Housemaid, directed by Jackpots' Paul Feig, follows Sydney Sweeney's Millie, a down-on-her-luck young woman looking for a job, who is handed a well-paying live-in nanny position with Amanda Seyfried's Nina and Brandon Sklenar's Andrew. While things seem great to start, the perfect picture starts to unravel, and Millie is forced to make some hard decisions.
The movie is based on the book of the same name by Frieda McFadden, which is the first installment of a series comprising three books and a short story.
The Direct sat down with The Housemaid director Paul Feig, the same man behind Bridesmaids, where he teased, without spoilers, the changes they made to the end of the story and why Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried were perfect for the roles of Millie and Nina.
Feig noted that generally speaking, they "stuck pretty close to the book," but that the main thing they changed was that they both "added on" and "expanded the ending."
As for his perfect leading ladies, Feig explained that Sydney Sweeney "Is such a perfect Millie because she's able to disarm you." He gave praise to Amanda Seyfried as well, noting that she "has this amazing tiger inside," which was perfect for the character's trajectory in the film.
The full interview with The Direct's Russ Milheim and The Housemaid director Paul Feig can be read below. The Housemaid releases in theaters on December 19, 2025.
Why Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried Were Perfect for The Housemaid
Both Actresses Are Powerhouses That Can Play With Expectations
- The Direct: "Speaking of that cast... everyone's great, but I want to address specifically Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried. You know, they were the perfect casting choices as those leading ladies. In your own words, can you just talk about why, in your eyes, they were the perfect choices for those roles? Because they got to do some crazy stuff."
Paul Feig: I mean, you know, Sydney is such a perfect Millie because she's able to disarm you and make you think she's one way, you know, when she just plays kind of sweet and innocent and kind of down on her luck. You just buy it, because she has her great look, and she just kind of underplays everything in a beautiful way, so that you know she is a stereotype that you meet the poor, helpless thing.
And then Amanda was able to bring sort of the stereotype, kind of cookie-rich wife who will be kind of fun to work with, and maybe I'll be, you know, whatever, your pal. And then the fact that Amanda has this amazing Tiger inside, with the switch, and the same with Sydney. You know, when pushed to the brink as Millie, she's not at all the person you think.
So, we're literally—they're able to play a stereotype and then completely subvert it, because their talent underneath that is so much deeper.
The Hosuemaid Director Paul Feig Teases the Changes to the Story's Ending
"We Expanded the Ending..."
- The Direct: "Adapting from book to movie or show or whatever it is always comes with changes. So when you were doing this, can you talk about figuring out those changes and choosing when to deviate, and when was best to do that? What was that process like?"
Paul Feig: Yeah, we stuck pretty close to the book and the structure of the book. The main things we changed. We added on to the ending. So we expanded the ending, because the book ends very satisfyingly for a book, but not satisfyingly enough for a movie. You know, you still needed the monster in the house, basically, and then for, you know, no spoilers, but what Millie is sort of made to do up in the attic worked in the book, but it wasn't harsh enough for the movie screen in order to get the audience blood thirsty enough.
Playing With Audience's Expectations In The Housemaid
"What I Wanted to Play With Is How Much I Could Fool the Audience..."
- The Direct: "The film really does play with the audience's expectations in a lot of fun ways. Can you talk about just how you wanted to do that and finding that good balance?"
Paul Feig: I mean, you know, it's so hard baked into that book, which went into the script, so the structure is already there. So what I wanted to play with is how much I could fool the audience for an hour, because what's great about that story, that Freida McFadden wrote, is she makes you root for everything that you should not be rooting for, and then she makes you pay the price. That's where the fun comes in, retribution.
The Future of The Housemaid Movie Series
"We've Talked About It."
- The Direct: "There are obviously multiple books in this series. Do you have aspirations for continuing with these films? Have there been any conversations?"
Paul Feig: Oh, you know, we've talked about it. Yeah. I mean, look, I love the character, Millie, and Millie is set up very well to have more adventures, and Freida wrote more books, like you say. So, yeah. I mean, we'll see how this movie does that's it all. It all hangs on that.
The entire conversation between The Direct's Russ Milheim and The Housemaid director Paul Feig can be seen below:
