The Housemaid Achieves Major Box Office Milestone with $300 Million Global Earnings
The psychological thriller The Housemaid, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, has crossed a significant milestone at the worldwide box office. According to industry reports from Variety, the film has now earned more than $300 million (approximately ₹2,760 crore) globally, marking a substantial achievement for a mid-budget Hollywood production.
Impressive Domestic and International Performance
The R-rated film has demonstrated remarkable strength across markets. In North America, The Housemaid has collected $116 million (around ₹1,066 crore), while international markets have contributed an even stronger $189.1 million (approximately ₹1,739 crore). This brings the total worldwide earnings to an impressive $305 million (about ₹2,804 crore).
What makes this success particularly noteworthy is the film's production budget. Lionsgate produced The Housemaid on a modest $35 million (roughly ₹321 crore) budget, making it highly profitable for the studio. For a typical Hollywood movie to break even, it needs to earn about 2.5 times its budget, which would have been $87.5 million (approximately ₹804 crore) in this case.
Sustained Success and International Dominance
The film's journey to profitability has been remarkable. Released just before Christmas with a North American opening of $19 million (about ₹174 crore), The Housemaid defied expectations by maintaining strong performance well into the new year. Positive reviews and strong word of mouth have sustained audience interest across multiple territories.
Recently, the film has topped box-office charts in several key international markets, including:
- The United Kingdom (leading with $36.4 million/₹334 crore)
- France
- Mexico
- Brazil
- Spain
Other significant international contributors include Latin America and the Australia-New Zealand region, demonstrating the film's broad global appeal.
Career Milestones and Historical Context
The Housemaid represents several career milestones for its key creatives. For Sydney Sweeney, this has become her biggest box office success as a lead actor, surpassing her previous hit Anyone But You ($220.2 million). For director Paul Feig, the film has become his highest-grossing directorial effort, exceeding the performance of his previous record-holder Bridesmaids ($289.3 million).
The film's success has already paved the way for a sequel, The Housemaid's Secret, with Sweeney expected to return as Millie Calloway. This rapid greenlighting reflects the studio's confidence in the franchise's potential.
Place Among R-Rated Cinema History
The Housemaid has now entered the exclusive club of Top 100 highest-grossing R-rated films of all time worldwide. The current leaders in this category include:
- Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) with over $1.33 billion
- Joker (2019) at $1.07 billion
- Oppenheimer (2023) with nearly $977 million
Other notable R-rated films in the historical rankings include It (2017), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), Logan (2017), and The Passion of the Christ (2004).
Understanding the R-Rating
While most high-grossing R-rated films earn their classification primarily through explicit violence, The Housemaid presents a slightly different case. According to Common Sense Media, the film features "steamy, passionate sex with full nudity" involving both male and female actors, alongside its violent content.
The IMDb parents' guide describes the film's violence and gore as "severe" while noting over 50 uses of the F-word throughout the thriller. This combination of mature content elements has contributed to its R-rating while apparently not deterring audiences.
Current Status and Future Availability
The Housemaid continues to run in theaters across India, maintaining its box office momentum. Industry sources indicate that the film's OTT (over-the-top) release is expected in March, which will likely expand its audience reach further.
Based on Freida McFadden's bestselling novel and directed by Paul Feig, the film tells a dark psychological story about a young woman with a troubled past who becomes a live-in maid for a wealthy family. Sydney Sweeney plays the titular maid, while Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar portray a couple whose seemingly perfect life conceals disturbing secrets.
The film's financial performance represents nearly 250% profit for the makers after reaching break-even, cementing its status as one of Lionsgate's most profitable releases of the decade and demonstrating the continued viability of well-crafted, mid-budget psychological thrillers in the global marketplace.
