Thescreescore – Sydney Sweeney’s latest cinematic venture, The Housemaid, is making waves at the global box office, quickly ascending charts and notably surpassing a particularly divisive Academy Award-winning film in its domestic run. The psychological thriller, adapted from Freida McFadden’s bestselling novel, has not only provided a much-needed boost to Sweeney’s recent box office performance but also carved out a respectable niche for itself amidst the holiday season’s competitive releases.
Starring Sweeney opposite Amanda Seyfried, known for her compelling performance in The Testament of Ann Lee, The Housemaid has amassed an impressive approximately $70 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $35 million. Its domestic tally recently climbed to $56.2 million in its second week, a figure that now places it above Paul Haggis’s 2005 Best Picture winner, Crash, on Lionsgate’s all-time domestic box office charts. This achievement also sees it outperforming other notable Lionsgate releases like 2007’s Why Did I Get Married? and the original 2004 Saw.
Crash, despite its initial critical reception, gained an infamous reputation for its surprising triumph over Ang Lee’s critically acclaimed Brokeback Mountain at the Oscars. While Crash ultimately garnered $101 million globally and remains within Lionsgate’s top 50 domestic earners, its legacy is often overshadowed by the controversy surrounding its Best Picture victory.
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Despite a 49 percent dip in Wednesday’s gross compared to Tuesday, box office analysts anticipate a potential rebound for The Housemaid following the New Year’s Eve holiday, a common pattern for films during festive periods. Industry experts suggest a film typically needs to gross two and a half times its budget to be considered a financial success. With its current trajectory, The Housemaid is well on its way to breaking even and subsequently turning a healthy profit for the studio.
This recent success marks a significant turnaround for Sweeney, whose previous three films this year—Eden, Americana, and Christy—collectively grossed around $5 million. In stark contrast, The Housemaid alone pulled in approximately $20 million during its opening weekend. Projections now indicate the film could realistically cross the coveted $100 million mark before concluding its theatrical run.
Meanwhile, co-star Amanda Seyfried continues to garner industry buzz, emerging as a strong contender for a Best Lead Actress nomination at the 2026 Oscars for her role in The Testament of Ann Lee, which saw a limited Christmas Day release. Seyfried has also publicly expressed her enthusiasm for future collaborations with Sweeney, hinting at the possibility of another box office hit for the duo down the line.
While The Housemaid and Crash may not compete with the colossal earnings of Lionsgate’s franchise powerhouses like Twilight, The Hunger Games, and John Wick, the distributor has undoubtedly found a modest hit in this thriller. Its ability to outperform a film remembered more for its contentious Oscar win than its box office might be a subtle, yet satisfying, victory for thescreescore.com.
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