Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried to play lead roles in The Housemaid

Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried have been cast in 'The Housemaid'.

The pair have agreed to star in the thriller that Paul Feig is directing for Lionsgate.

The picture is based on the best-selling novel by Freida McFadden with the screenplay adapted by Rebecca Sonnenshine.

Sydney and Amanda will both serve as executive producers with Feig and Laura Fischer also producing.

In the movie, Sweeney will play Millie – a struggling woman who is thankful to have a fresh start as a housemaid to wealthy couple Nina (Seyfried) and Andrew. But she soon learns that the family's secrets are a lot more dangerous than her own.

Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said: "I'm thrilled to have 'The Housemaid' join our upcoming slate.

"A great filmmaker and a great cast with a great script from a great book is a terrific place to start. My prior work experiences with Paul and Amanda have been nothing short of spectacular, and Sydney is as talented and compelling as can be."

Co-president Erin Westerman added: "Part of the fun of the book was imagining the cast while we read it, and Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried are perfect for Millie and Nina – they're both mysterious, nuanced, and incredibly skilled at becoming characters who don't reveal everything right away.

"We're thrilled to team them with Paul Feig, who we worked with on 'A Simple Favor' and its upcoming sequel and has a proven track record of developing stories with dynamic female leads."

Sydney is also due to play trailblazing boxer Christy Martin – described as the "female Rocky" by producers – in a biopic and spoke of her excitement at bringing her "powerful" story to the big screen.

The 27-year-old actress said: "Christy Martin not only legitimised female boxing, she overcame gender stereotypes, and fought through emotional, physical, and financial abuse.

"I’m passionate about the fighting world, Christy’s story shines a light on her incredible rise to the top while showing the struggles of fame behind the curtains.

"I feel compelled to tell a story about a woman who faced so much adversity and didn’t allow it to defeat her. It’s powerful, and emotional."