Hollywood Hits Milestone In Gender Representation, But Ageism Persists

The entertainment industry has long grappled with gender disparities, both in front of and behind the camera. However, 2024 marked a groundbreaking year for gender representation in cinema. According to two recent studies, women achieved on-screen parity for the first time in the United States. Of the 100 highest-grossing films, 42% featured female protagonists—matching the percentage of male-led films. This represents a significant leap from 2023 when only 28% of top-grossing films centred on female protagonists, while 62% focused on male leads.

Breaking the Male-Dominated Narrative

The report It’s a Man’s (Celluloid) World, led by Dr Martha Lauzen, confirmed this shift, noting that the remaining 16% of films in 2024 featured ensemble casts. Similar findings emerged from studies conducted by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and San Diego State University’s Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film.

The USC study revealed that more than half of the top 100 box office hits had a female-led storyline. Among the biggest films contributing to this change were Pixar’s Inside Out 2, Disney’s Moana 2, Universal’s Wicked, and Paramount’s A Quiet Place: Day One. These films, featuring leads like Amy Poehler, Auliʻi Cravalho, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Lupita Nyong’o, played a crucial role in shifting audience perceptions and industry trends.

An Important Improvement from 2023

The progress seen in 2024 is particularly striking when compared to 2023. That year, only 30% of films had a female protagonist. Stacy L. Smith, founder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, emphasized the significance of this shift, stating, “For the first time, we can confidently say that gender equality has been reached in top-grossing films.”

Studios Leading the Charge for Female-Led Films

Universal Pictures emerged as the studio with the highest number of female-led films in 2024, with 10 movies (66.7% of its slate). Other major studios followed suit:

• Warner Bros: 55.6%
• Lionsgate: 54.5%
• Paramount: 44.4%
• Disney: 40%
• Sony: 38.5%

This increase in female representation across major studios indicates a collective industry effort to move towards gender inclusivity.

The Age Gap in Hollywood: Progress with Persistent Challenges

While Hollywood has made notable strides in gender representation, ageism remains a significant hurdle—particularly for female actors. The 2024 report highlighted that women over 50 took on strong leading roles, with performances such as Demi Moore in The Substance. However, the number of female characters declined dramatically with age.

• Female representation dropped from 35% in their 30s to just 16% in their 40s.
• Conversely, male representation increased from 25% in their 30s to 31% in their 40s.
• Men over 50 had more than double the roles of their female counterparts.

This data reflects the ongoing gender imbalance in opportunities for ageing actors, reflecting an industry that still favours men as they grow older while sidelining women past a certain age.

What This Means for the Future of Hollywood

The gender parity achieved in 2024 represents a pivotal moment for the film industry. With increasing audience demand for diverse storytelling and female-led narratives, studios are recognising the financial and cultural significance of equitable representation. However, challenges like ageism and behind-the-scenes disparities still need to be addressed to ensure lasting change.

As Hollywood moves forward, the hope is that this milestone will not be a one-time occurrence but rather the beginning of a new era—one where gender balance on-screen becomes the norm rather than the exception.