The Housemaid was a surprise holiday hit last winter, with the steamy thriller garnering $400 million USD in theaters. Now, with a sequel in the works, director Paul Feig has found his next film, and it promises to be even darker than his last project.
According to reports, Feig will direct Detention for Blumhouse‘s Atomic Monster. All plot details are being kept under wraps for now, but it will reportedly be a horror thriller, and is said to be “even darker” than The Housemaid. The script is by Daniel Gold, a Canadian screenwriter who previously wrote for the CBC comedy Workin’ Moms; comedy writers and directors moving into horror is something of a trend these days, with creators like Jordan Peele, Zach Cregger, and Feig himself rattling off a string of thrillers and chillers. The project originated at Atomic Monster, a division of Jason Blum‘s Blumhouse horror factory, and will also be produced by Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes.
Who Is Paul Feig?
A native of Royal Oak, Michigan, Feig began his career as an actor, appearing in small roles. Together with longtime friend Judd Apatow, Feig moved behind the scenes to create the series Freaks and Geeks; the series was critically acclaimed, and launched the careers of Seth Rogen, Linda Cardellini, and Jason Segel, but was cancelled after a single season. He went to work on a number of notable TV series, including Arrested Development, Weeds, and The Office, before breaking out on the big screen as the director of the comedy smash hit Bridesmaids. Several other well-received comedies followed, including Spy and The Heat, before Feig took a turn into thrillers, helming the highly successful A Simple Favor. He returned to direct Another Simple Favor, and had his biggest hit to date with The Housemaid last holiday season.
The Housemaid’s Secret, based on the second novel in The Housemaid series by author Freida McFadden, will star Sweeney as Millie Calloway, a young woman who is once more hired to keep house for a wealthy couple (Kirsten Dunst and Paul Anthony Kelly), uncovering their deepest, darkest secrets in the process; Feig will return to direct the film from a script by Rebecca Sonnenshine. It will be released in theaters on December 17, 2027.
Detention is in development; no release date has yet been announced.
via Collider