Sydney Sweeney lands another career-saving role after string of box office bombs and scandals

Things are finally looking up for Sydney Sweeney following a string of career controversies and film flops for the embattled actress.

The 28-year-old's latest film, The Housemaid, has just been greenlit for a sequel after becoming a surprise box office hit.

According to Variety, both Sweeney and director Paul Feig will be back for the next film.

Titled The Housemaid's Secret, the sequel is based on the second book in Freida McFadden's best-selling trilogy. 

Michele Morrone will also be back for the next instalment, but there's no word yet on whether Amanda Seyfried will return too.

The Housemaid has been a huge hit so far, grossing $133million in under three weeks off a $35million budget.

It also received favorable reviews from critics, who praised it as a welcome throwback to the lurid thrillers of the '80s and '90s.

The film's success has provided a much-needed boost to Sweeney's status in Hollywood.

The actress, who first shot to fame in HBO's critically-acclaimed Euphoria, has been bogged down by back-to-back flops over the past two years.

Her box office bombs have included Marvel's Madame Web, Ron Howard's survival thriller Eden, and the biographical sports film Christy.

She also sparked outrage last year after starring in a controversial campaign for denim brand American Eagle.  

The ad featured the tagline 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,' a pun on 'great genes'.

The phrase ––along with Sweeney's blue eyes and blonde hair–– ignited a heated debate online when it launched last July, with critics accusing the commercial of promoting eugenics and white supremacy.

Other complained that the campaign was sexist for catering to the male gaze by focusing so heavily on Sweeney's buxom appearance. 

The actress stayed silent in the face of backlash for months, before finally addressing the furore in an emotional statement back in December.

'I was honestly surprised by the reaction,' she told the publication.

'I did it because I love the jeans and love the brand. I don’t support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign. Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren’t true,' she insisted.

'Anyone who knows me knows that I’m always trying to bring people together. I’m against hate and divisiveness.'

Sweeney also addressed her decision to remain silent on the issue for so long, despite the controversy raging for months in the media. 

'In the past my stance has been to never respond to negative or positive press but recently I have come to realize that my silence regarding this issue has only widened the divide, not closed it,' she explained. 

'So I hope this new year brings more focus on what connects us instead of what divides us.'

Aside from the American Eagle scandal, Sweeney earned the ire of anti-Trump progressives after it was revealed that she had registered herself as a Republican in Florida in 2024.

Her relationship with music executive Scooter Braun has also raised eyebrows.

Sweeney was first linked to Braun at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Italian wedding in June –– just two months after she called it quits with her fiance Jonathan Davino after seven years together.

Braun has become an unpopular figure among some pop fans due to his public dispute with Taylor Swift, which was sparked when he bought the masters to her first six studio albums. 

The entrepreneur, a staunch Zionist, has also received backlash from the pro-Palestinian crowd for his steadfast support of Israel amid their ongoing assault on Gaza.

Meanwhile, Sweeney will next be seen in the long-awaited third season of Euphoria.

She's also rumored to headline an upcoming live-action version of the Japanese anime sci-fi franchise, Gundam.