The Housemaid director Paul Feig revealed how long-time friend and actress Blake Lively helped him with the casting of the film. The Housemaid is a psychological thriller based on the 2022 eponymous novel by Freida McFadden. The film stars Amanda Seyfried as Nina Winchester and Brandon Sklenar as Andrew Winchester, who employ Millie Calloway (portrayed by Sydney Sweeney) as their housemaid.
Paul Feig reveals Blake Lively helped with The Housemaid casting
Blake Lively granted The Housemaid director, Paul, a simple and wholesome favour. Lively worked with Feig on the 2018 film A Simple Favor and its 2025 sequel, Another Simple Favor. The duo became good friends while filming, and the Gossip Girl alum helped her director-friend with the casting of The Housemaid.
Director Feig spoke with E News at a special screening of the film in New York City on December 2. He revealed, “Blake Lively had just worked with Brandon. She just kept going on and on about how great he is. And I met him and was like, ‘Yes, you are great and I love you.’”
Sklenar played Lively’s childhood friend turned love interest Atlas Corrigan in the 2024 drama film It Ends With Us. Not only that, Lively and Feig had previously collaborated with Michelle Morrone on Another Simple Favor. Feig offered him Enzo’s role in The Housemaid.
Feig shared, “When I read the part of Enzo, it’s like, ‘I think this is kind of written for Michele, absolutely.’” Furthermore, the Ghostbusters director detailed how he absolutely loved the book and reached out to Lionsgate about potentially directing the screen adaptation of the book.
He remarked, “It was just me calling, like, ‘I have to do this movie. I know you think I’m a comedy director—I have to do this movie. I know how to do it.’ And it was one of the best experiences of my life.”
Furthermore, Feig confessed he felt “pressure” to get the story right for fans of the book. Continuing, he stated that the biggest thing was getting the “cast right and getting our adaptation right.” “And then just putting on the screen everything that’s described in the movie in the best possible way,” he added. The Housemaid releases in theatres on December 19.
Originally reported by Anwaya Mane on Mandatory.
