By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Privacy Policy
Privacy Preference Center
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary CookiesAlways Active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.
They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services,
such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms.
You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.
Performance Cookies
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance
of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move
around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous.
If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be
able to monitor its performance.
Functional Cookies
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and
personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose
services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies
then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners.
They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you
relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information,
but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not
allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
If you frequent social media, you’ve heard the noise: Female-centric movies are ruining Hollywood. Women, with all their hair and drama, are infiltrating popular franchises like Star Wars and Marvel, spreading their inclusivity agenda with a smirk and scowl. But it’s just a phase. You’ll see.We’re obviously being sarcastic here, not only because women-led films pose no real danger outside of, you know, showing off the unique power of half the world’s population. But now, a study is here to prove that it’s literally wrong to say women-starring films are “ruining” Hollywood; they are, in fact, keeping it alive. According to a report conducted by the Creative Artists Agency and tech firm Shift7, movies with female leads actually out-gross male-led rivals – at all budget levels.The study compiled box office data from the 350 highest-grossing films from 2014 to 2017 and broke them into five categories based on what it cost to get them made. The greatest gap in female vs. male-led grosses was at the top tier, or movies that made over $100 million. That category contains films like Wonder Woman, Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast, and Star Wars films like Rogue One and the two episodic sequels, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, which are also the third and 11th highest-grossing films of all time, respectively.Also factored into the report was the Bechdel Test. Films that pass the test feature a female lead who speaks to at least one other woman about something other than a man. The report found that, since 2012, all films to pass $1 billion in global box office passed the test. A low bar, yes, but it shows progress when you realize how many popular films fail that simple practice.This may all sound like revolutionary new information, but, in fact, female viability at the box office has been the case even before the timeline used for CAA’s report. In 2015, The Black List’s Kate Hagen found that female-led films with at least a $1 million budget released after 1/1/2000 outgrossed male-led films overall. As Hagen writes, “the data actually says we minimize downside risk and increase upside potential when making female-driven movies.”So don’t listen to the trolls who lament the advent of large-budget female-starring films, the people who call diversity “box office poison” or accuse studios of foisting an agenda on moviegoers. The numbers don’t lie: When women star in films, more people see those movies. It’s just a fact.Here’s hoping the powers that be feel bolstered by this data and extend the same starring-role-power to other under-represented groups. We have a feeling they might be surprised by those numbers, too.