‘I Don’t Think We’ll Be Able To Clear This.’ How Sydney Sweeney And Amanda Seyfried Manifested That Taylor Swift Song Into The Housemaid

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Everyone loves hearing behind-the-scenes stories about how movies are made, and fans of The Housemaid adaptation were eager to learn about its journey to the big screen. A particularly cool detail, in my opinion, is the perfect Taylor Swift song used at the end. It turns out that wasn’t a sure thing initially, but Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney really believed in it and made it happen.

Director Paul Feig revealed he really wanted to use Taylor Swift’s “I Did Something Bad” during the end credits of The Housemaid. Getting a popular song like that for a film isn’t always easy, though.

We considered including it, but I worried we wouldn’t get permission because Taylor Swift rarely approves samples of her songs.

I understand why Taylor Swift might be hesitant to license her music for a movie again. The last time she did – for It Ends With Us – it caused a lot of public drama with Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. But her music really suits the mood of The Housemaid, and it makes sense that the filmmakers – including director Paul Feig and stars Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney – were hoping to include it.

The song is from Taylor Swift’s album Reputation. Director Paul Feig told People magazine he considered it a powerfully empowering anthem. However, they still needed to get permission to include it in the film. Before the rights were officially secured, the two actresses saw the finished cut and insisted the song was essential to the movie.

Still, it wasn’t always a sure thing.

  • Seyfried: “We saw it before it was fully confirmed.”
  • Sweeney: “And we were like, ‘We can’t lose this!’ We were like, ‘You have to keep this!’ … And it brings every generation together, which is so fun. “

The story of The Housemaid concludes with the song “I Did Something Bad” right after viewers learn – with a small spoiler – that Millie has started working for a new family in the show’s popular final scene. This ending, combined with the use of the song, suggests that a sequel, The Housemaid 2, is possible.

I’m not sure exactly how hard it is to get a Taylor Swift song for a film or show, but the director hinted it wasn’t easy. While many projects don’t feature her music, shows like Will Trent, The Bear, and The Handmaid’s Tale have all used her songs this year. It’s possible The Housemaid faced extra challenges because its tone is similar to It Ends with Us, which received a lot of media attention. Alternatively, cost could have been a factor – Taylor Swift’s music is expensive – or there might have been difficulties specifically with clearing the song “I Did Something Bad.”

It’s also possible there was a different issue securing the rights, as Feig didn’t explain exactly how things worked out.

Apparently, Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney really pushed for the inclusion of the song “I Did Something Bad,” and eventually they succeeded. The result is a wonderfully over-the-top moment in the movie, and if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s best experienced in a theater – just ask TopMob’s Corey Chichizola about his lively viewing!

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2025-12-24 21:38