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Sydney Sweeney Swaps Out Her Blunt Bob in Latest Hair Transformation
Spoilers for The Housemaid movie and book are below.
At last, one of the most discussed #BookTok sensations has made its way to the big screen.
The Housemaid, which stars Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar and Michele Morrone, had big shoes to fill into as they brought the characters from Freida McFadden’s 2022 novel to life. And director Paul Feig didn’t take that responsibility lightly.
“I felt tons of pressure because people love this book—as I do—but the book is so good that if you don't mess with it, it's going to be great,” he explained to E! News at a special screening of The Housemaid in New York earlier this month. “For me, the biggest thing was getting the cast right, getting our adaptation right, which Rebecca Sonnenshine, our writer, did an amazing job on.”
As such, the cast and crew took the world McFadden built to heart when constructing the film. But that’s not to say the thriller, out now, is completely ripped from the pages. In fact, there was one pivotal change made to the film’s shocking climax.
After all, the film added tense final showdown between Andrew Winchester (Sklenar), Millie Calloway (Sweeney) and Nina Winchester (Seyfried).
Like the book, the movie initially sets up viewers to see Nina as the unpredictable, unstable wife to the doting Andrew who wreaks havoc on Millie’s life shortly after hiring her to be their housemaid.
Lionsgate
However, it’s only After Millie and Andrew begin their affair and he kicks Nina out of the house, that it’s revealed it has all been a ruse: Nina's acts were a desperate attempt to get the controlling, manipulative Andrew to finally release her from their toxic marriage. (A flashback soon reveals how Nina fell into Andrew’s trap years prior.)
Soon after, Millie learns the truth about Andrew, and that the creepy attic bedroom that locks from the outside that she previously called home is actually the place he punishes the women in his life for any perceived wrongdoing.
While in the book, Millie is able to escape the room and lock Andrew in, where he eventually dies, the movie ups the stakes that much more. As for how it goes down on screen?
Nina, indeed, returns to the house after deciding to rescue Millie—at the behest of daughter Cecelia (Indiana Elle)—this time she does not come back to learn Andrew has died after being shut away in the attic for a week.
Lionsgate
Instead, she turns the lock on the attic to find not Millie but Andrew bursting through and hellbent on revenge. A violent battle between Andrew and the women ensues, leading to him and Nina facing off on the top floor landing of their sweeping mansion. But before he is able to kill her, Millie re-emerges and pushes him over the railing, sending him to his death at the bottom of their spiral staircase.
The duo ultimately stage his death to look like an accident, suggesting Andrew fell to his death trying to change a chandelier lightbulb, with Nina sending Millie away so she can explain the situation to authorities.
Ultimately, Nina and Millie are able to get away with the crime, with the duo reuniting at Andrew’s funeral, where Nina gives Millie a hefty check to start a new life elsewhere. As for what Millie does with that new life? Well, McFadden reveals as much in her sequels The Housemaid’s Secret and The Housemaid Is Watching.
Lionsgate
Whether fans will see Millie’s next chapter come to life onscreen, that remains to be seen. But it’s safe to say the author was fully on board with how The Housemaid crew crafted her breakout novel for the big screen—especially with that ending.
“I actually think it's better,” McFadden admitted to E! at the NYC screening. “It's more action, which I think works a lot better on the big screen.”
And for Feig, the synergy between him and McFadden on the adaptation process was key.
“She was she was very supportive,” he explained. “We sent her that script and she loved it. She had a couple of things she wanted from the book, and I had written those down too. She said, ‘There's a couple things I want.’ I said, ‘Is it this and this?’ She said, ‘Yes!’ So, we were right in lockstep from the very beginning.”
The Housemaid is now in theaters.
For more beloved books about to become TV shows and movies, keep reading…
Knopf/Doubleday
Hamnet
Based on: Maggie O’Farrell 2020 Novel
Starring: Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley, Joe Alwyn and Emily Watson.
Premieres: In theaters December 12
Why We’re Excited: A fictional account of the tragic death of William Shakespeare’s 11-year-old son in the mid-16th century, this book flew off shelves with good reason: it’s utterly engrossing. And with an all-star cast being directed by bold name Chloé Zhao—who co-wrote with O’Farrell—this film will be a devastating can’t miss.
Hachette Books
The Housemaid
Based On: Freida McFadden’s 2022 novel
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar and Michele Marrone
Premieres: In theaters December 19
Why We’re Excited: The cast alone is enough to have us seated for the adaptation, which follows a maid to a wealthy family with some very sinister secrets bubbling under the surface. But Paul Feig, who is no stranger to a twisty story with A Simple Favor—and its sequel—is at the helm so it’s safe to say we’re in for quite a ride.
Montlake
Reminders of Him
Based On: Hoover’s 2022 novel
Starring: Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Rudy Pankow, Lauren Graham, Bradley Whitford, Lainey Wilson and Nicholas Duvernay.
Premieres: In theaters February 13, 2026
Why We’re Excited: After five years, Kenna returns to her hometown looking to reunite with her daughter. Instead, she finds solace in a local bar owner who remains one of the few who is willing to give her another chance. While the next few years see several of the best-selling novelist’s books hitting the screen, she’s a big part of bringing this book to life as she co-wrote the script with Lauren Levine.
Flatiron Books
His & Hers
Based on: Alice Feeney’s 2020 Novel
Starring: Tessa Thompson, Jon Bernthal, Pablo Schreiber, Crystal Fox, Sunita Mani, and Rebecca Rittenhouse
Premieres: January 8, 2026, on Netflix
Why We’re Excited: A twisty thriller that brings a recluse back to their hometown is always an immediate yes, and in this limited series, it’s Thompson’s Anna whose return following a murder captivates a local detective (new Emmy winner Bernthal) who is also investigating the crime.
Berkley
People We Meet on Vacation
Based On: Emily Henry's 2021 novel
Starring: Tom Blyth, Emily Bader, Lucian Laviscount, Jameela Jamil, Lukas Gage and Sarah Catherine Hook
Premieres: January 8, 2026, on Netflix
Why We’re Excited: Henry has already taken women’s literature by storm in recent years, so it was only a matter of time before her novels got the big screen treatment. And after major turns in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and My Lady Jane, respectively, Blyth and Bader have proven they may just be the perfect Alex and Poppy.
Gavin Bond/Netflix
Bridgerton Season 4
Based On: Julia Quinn's 2001 Bridgerton novel An Offer From A Gentleman
Starring: Luke Thompson, Yerin Ha, Jonathan Bailey, Claudia Jessie, Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Adjoa Andoh, Ruth Gemmell, Katie Leung, Michelle Mao and Isabella Wei.
Release Date: Part One: January 29, 2026; Part Two: February, 26, 2026, on Netflix
Why We’re Excited: After three seasons trying to cement a place in his family and discovering himself, fan-favorite Benedict Bridgerton at last finds love in the upcoming installment. And newcomer Ha is joining the Netflix hit’s ever-growing ensemble as his love interest Sophie Baek.
Mike Marsland/WireImage; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Gotham Film & Media Institute
Wuthering Heights
Based on: Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel
Release Date: In theaters February 13, 2026
Starring: Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie
Why We’re Excited: Cue the Kate Bush classic, we’re heading back to the moors. Filmmaker Emerald Fennell is reteaming with her Saltburn collaborators—Elordi starred and Robbie produced—for a take on Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff that we’ve surely never seen before.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Kay Scarpetta
Based On: Patricia Cornwell's mega-popular series of the same name that has 26 books in total
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana DeBose, Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker and Jake Cannavale
Premieres: March 11, 2026, on Prime Video
Why We're Excited: If it's based on a book and Kidman stars in it, we will binge the s--t out of it. (See: Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers, The Undoing and the fact that this is her second appearance on this list.) Add in that the Oscar winners will be playing crime-fighting sisters and it's already become our favorite new show of the year.
Ballantine Books
Project Hail Mary
Based On: Andy Weir’s 2021 novel of the same name
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller and Milana Vayntrub
Release Date: In theaters March 20, 2026
Why We’re Excited: Sure, Gosling’s been to space as the first man, but his latest mission takes him out of this galaxy as he wakes up from a coma as the sole survivor in an expedition to the Tau Ceti solar system—a cool 12 light-years away from Earth. Things only get worse now that he’s solo and must continue his mission to reverse solar dimming and save humanity from extinction. NBD!
William Morrow
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Based on: Rufi Thorpe’s 2024 novel
Starring: Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman
Premieres: April 15, 2026, on Apple TV+
Why we’re Excited: Is it really a limited series if it doesn’t have Kidman popping up in it? Thorpe’s book—following the daughter of a former Hooters waitress and a onetime pro-wrestler who turns to OnlyFans after becoming a single mom at 20—is already excellent on its own. But this casting has certainly placed this eight-episode series at the top of the must-watch list.
Grand Central Publishing/Hachette
Verity
Based on: Hoover's 2021 book
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett
Premieres: In theaters May 15, 2026
Why We're Excited: For starters, we can look no further than Anne, Dakota and Josh. The book—which follows a struggling writer who is asked to complete a best-selling series after the author's mysterious accident—is already a wild, twisty ride. And with this trio at the center, seeing it brought to life on screen is all the more exciting.
Lionsgate
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Based On: Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel
Starring: Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak, Mckenna Grace, Elle Fanning, Maya Hawke, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Jesse Plemons and Ralph Fiennes.
Premieres: In theaters November 20, 2026
Why We’re Excited: On the same day Collins’ latest trip to Panem was announced, Lionsgate confirmed it would be adapting the much-anticipated story following a young Haymitch Abernathy—Peeta and Katniss’ famously haunted mentor in the 74th Hunger Games—during his winning battle in the 50th Games.
Doubleday
The Husbands
Based On: Holly Gramazio’s 2024 novel
Starring: Juno Temple
Premieres: TBD on Apple TV+
Why We’re Excited: Prepare to meet more than one hundred husbands. Indeed, the story follows Lauren, who arrives home to be greeted by her husband Michael—only she has never seen him before in her life. A different husband soon takes his place, and she soon learns a seemingly-endless supply of spouses are coming from her attic. As she navigates this complicated romantic journey, key questions emerge, namely, what does she want from life and will she take the reins to get it?
Back Bay Books
Five-Star Weekend
Based On: Elin Hilderbrand’s 2023 novel
Starring: Jennifer Garner
Premieres: TBD on Peacock
Why We’re Excited: Hilderbrand is the queen of Nantucket beach read. Add in a megastar like Garner and its place in our queue is solidified. The Alias alum stars as Hollis, a food blogger whose life is turned update down by tragedy. As part of her healing journey, she resolves to host a “five-star” weekend with her closest pals—only for it to go awry as the cracks in her friendships deepen and game-changing secrets emerge. Yep, we are firmly seated.
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Midnight Sun
Based On: Stephanie Meyer’s 2020 novel
Starring: TBD
Premieres: TBD on Netflix
Why We’re Excited: While fans had to wait more than a decade for Meyer to release the retelling of Twilight from Edward Cullen’s POV, viewers will soon see an animated version of the story coming to their screens. And it’s safe to say catching a glimpse of an animated killer’s sparkly skin will be must-see TV.
Apple TV+
Lucky
Based On: Marissa Stapley's 2021 book
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Drew Starkey, Annette Bening, Timothy Olyphant and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
Premieres: TBD on Apple TV+
Why We’re Excited: If seeing Anya and Drew leading the cast isn’t enough of a draw—and it should be!—the story itself is pretty thrilling, a young woman returning to the con artist life she was raised in an attempt to secure her future. And with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine producing and a stellar supporting cast, we are already seated.
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