Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” not only emerged as the top-grossing film of the year but also marked a historic milestone as the highest-earning movie directed by a woman. However, a recent study conducted by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University reveals a concerning decline in the representation of female directors in major studio projects.
The study found that only 16% of directors among the 250 highest-grossing films were women, a decrease from 18% in the previous year. Despite a slight improvement in the top 100 films, with female directors accounting for 14% (up from 11% in 2022), the overarching trend indicates a lack of gender diversity in directorial roles within the film industry’s upper echelons.
Notwithstanding the critical and commercial success of movies helmed by female directors such as Gerwig, Emerald Fennell’s “Salburn,” Celine Song’s “Past Lives,” and Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” alongside the box office dominance of concert films by pop icons like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, the study exposes a persistent disparity in employment opportunities for women behind the scenes.
The research indicates a concerning decline in female representation across various crucial roles in filmmaking. Women accounted for only 22% of directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and cinematographers collectively in the top 250 grossing films, dropping from 24% in the previous year. Furthermore, a staggering 75% of these films employed 10 or more men in key behind-the-scenes positions, while a mere 4% had 10 or more women in similar roles.
Breaking down the roles, women comprised 26% of producers, 24% of executive producers, 21% of editors, 17% of writers, 14% of composers, and a mere 7% of cinematographers among the top 250 films. Notably, there were slight gains in female representation as composers, witnessing a 6% increase. However, the number of women employed as producers, executive producers, and writers decreased, while the percentage of female editors and cinematographers remained relatively stagnant compared to 2022.
Dr. Martha Lauzen, the report’s author and the center’s founder and executive director, expressed concern, stating, “Greta Gerwig’s well-deserved triumph belies the inequality that pervades the mainstream film industry.” She highlighted the stark gender disparities prevalent behind the scenes in Hollywood, emphasizing that despite individual successes, the overall industry remains significantly skewed in favor of men.
Moreover, the study revealed that films with at least one woman director tended to hire more women for key behind-the-scenes roles compared to films directed exclusively by men. For instance, when women occupied the director’s chair, 61% of writers, 35% of editors, 10% of cinematographers, and 26% of composers were female. In contrast, on films with male directors, the representation of women in these roles dropped significantly, with only 9% of writers, 18% of editors, 7% of cinematographers, and 11% of composers being female.
