There’s a new starlet in town, and she’s taking the box office by storm.
Sydney Sweeney has officially solidified her status as Hollywood’s reigning “It Girl,” hitting a massive milestone that puts her in direct competition with the legendary Jennifer Lawrence. In a move that has sparked endless chatter on TikTok and X, Sweeney’s latest erotic thriller, The Housemaid, has officially overtaken Lawrence’s spy thriller, Red Sparrow, at the global box office.
The shift feels like a passing of the torch. Just as Lawrence dominated the early s with a mix of blockbusters and risqué dramas, Sweeney is carving out her own path—and audiences are showing up in droves.
This past weekend, The Housemaid soared past the $ million mark globally. By doing so, it edged out Red Sparrow, the Francis Lawrence-directed spy film that saw J.Law playing a ballerina-turned-intelligence agent.
While Lawrence’s film was a solid hit in its own right, The Housemaid is proving to be a juggernaut. It has already surpassed Sweeney’s previous romantic comedy hit, Anyone But You, to become her biggest domestic success to date. Experts now predict the film is on a collision course with the coveted $ million mark worldwide.
So, what makes this one so special? Unlike the mixed reviews that plagued Red Sparrow—which currently sits at % on Rotten Tomatoes—The Housemaid is a certified darling for both critics and fans.
Directed by Paul Feig, the film is being hailed as a “sly throwback” to the lurid, high-stakes thrillers that used to dominate the s. It currently boasts a “certified fresh” % critics’ score and a scorching % “verified hot” audience score on RT.
According to the critics’ consensus, the movie “cleans up nicely” thanks to a “wicked sense of fun” and a “delightfully unnerving” performance by Amanda Seyfried, who stars alongside Sweeney.
Social media users have been quick to compare the two stars’ career trajectories. While Lawrence entered her Red Sparrow era after finishing the Hunger Games franchise, Sweeney is building her empire one viral moment at a time. From Euphoria to The White Lotus, and now a record-breaking thriller, her momentum is undeniable.
As The Housemaid prepares to hit the $ million mark domestically, it has already secured its spot as one of the highest-grossing thrillers of all time.
Fans who haven’t yet experienced the twisty drama have a little more time to catch it on the big screen. The film is expected to stay in theaters through the end of the month before making its debut on digital platforms in the first week of February.
One thing is for sure: whether it’s a “wicked” thriller or a high-fashion red carpet moment, the world can’t stop watching Sydney Sweeney.
Jennifer Lawrence And Josh Hutcherson Are Returning To The Hunger Games Universe
The rumors are true, and months of denials have officially aged like milk. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are reportedly returning to the world of Panem, reprising their iconic roles as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in Lionsgate’s highly anticipated prequel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
At first, the idea seemed impossible. The new film takes place decades before Katniss ever volunteered for the Hunger Games, making the return of Lawrence and Hutcherson appear unlikely. However, the filmmakers have reportedly found a clever way to bring the beloved characters back without disrupting the timeline of the original trilogy.
The key is a framing device reportedly taken from Suzanne Collins’ latest novel. The story is expected to feature an older Katniss and Peeta spending time with Haymitch Abernathy as he tells them about the horrifying experience he endured during his own Hunger Games. This approach gives fans an opportunity to see the original characters again while allowing the prequel to remain focused on Haymitch’s story.
The revelation is especially amusing considering Josh Hutcherson’s recent comments about the project. For months, the actor insisted that he knew nothing about the upcoming film and emphasized how much he still loved the franchise. In Hollywood, however, such denials can often mean that a carefully worded confidentiality agreement is keeping the truth under wraps. Fans now have plenty of reason to laugh at those earlier statements.
Sunrise on the Reaping centers on the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell. This particular Games was designed to be especially brutal, with twice the usual number of tributes being sent into the arena. The story follows a young Haymitch as he struggles to survive one of the most devastating and psychologically intense Games in Panem’s history.
Bringing Katniss and Peeta into the story through a framing sequence could create an emotional connection between Haymitch’s past and the characters fans have followed since the beginning of the franchise. It also gives Lawrence and Hutcherson a chance to return without changing the events established in the original films.
Fans have already taken to social media to celebrate the reported reunion, with many joking about how successfully the actors managed to keep the secret. The combination of familiar stars, Suzanne Collins’ source material, and director Francis Lawrence returning has created enormous anticipation.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 20, 2026. Whether Katniss and Peeta appear only briefly or play a more meaningful role remains unclear, but their return could make this new chapter one of the franchise’s biggest cinematic events yet.
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