Sydney Sweeney has two films in HBO Max's U.S. Top 10, according to FlixPatrol data. Her 2023 R-rated romantic comedy "Anyone But You" debuted on the chart on Oct. 27 in ninth place and climbed to sixth by Nov. 1. Her more recent thriller, "The Housemaid," ranks as the second-most-watched film on the platform after 21 days available.
"Anyone But You" was directed by Will Gluck, who co-wrote the script with Ilana Wolpert, and is loosely based on William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing." Sweeney stars as Bea opposite Glen Powell as Ben, two people whose first date goes badly; six months later they are forced together at a destination wedding and agree to pretend they are a couple so as not to disrupt the event. The film grossed $220 million against a $25 million budget. Reviews were mixed, with audiences rating it 87% compared to a 53% critics' score, and it was widely seen as a successful return for the rom-com genre.
The release drew controversy over its marketing. Sweeney and Powell leaned heavily into romance rumors to promote the film, even though Sweeney was then engaged to businessman Jonathan Davino and Powell was dating Jehane-Marie "Gigi" Paris. A year later, Powell confirmed the strategy, saying a rom-com needs "fun and chemistry" and that the pair had "a ton of effortless chemistry," adding that audiences want what is on screen to exist off screen too. Powell's former girlfriend later said on the Too Much podcast that she was not allowed to visit the set and felt disrespected by the approach.
Sweeney's current chart success comes from "The Housemaid," an adaptation of Freida McFadden's psychological novel that grossed $400 million and secured a sequel within weeks of its premiere. The follow-up, already in production, will adapt McFadden's "The Housemaid's Secret," with Sweeney returning as Millie alongside Michele Morrone, joined by Kirsten Dunst, Paul Anthony Kelly, Brittany Snow and Stephen Kalyn. It is scheduled to premiere on Dec. 17, 2027. Both "Anyone But You" and "The Housemaid" are streaming on HBO Max.
Sources: Comic Book Resources.