Current:Home > InvestProgress toward parity for women on movie screens has stalled, report finds -×
Progress toward parity for women on movie screens has stalled, report finds
View
Date:2025-04-24 22:32:29
NEW YORK (AP) — A new study on inclusion in film shows just how much of a rarity “Barbie” is. For every woman as a speaking character in the most popular films of 2022, there were more than two men, according to report by University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative.
The USC report, published Thursday, found that 34.6% of speaking parts were female in the top 100 box-office hits of last year. The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative has been annually tracking that and many other metrics since 2007.
And in its first such study in three years, USC researchers found that in many areas, progress toward parity on screen has stalled since the pandemic — and in some respects hasn’t changed all that much since 14 years ago. In 2019, 34% of speaking characters were female. In 2008, it was 32.8%.
“It is clear that the entertainment industry has little desire or motivation to improve casting processes in a way that creates meaningful change for girls and women,” said Stacy L. Smith, founder and director of the Inclusion Initiative, in a statement. “The lack of progress is particularly disappointing following decades of activism and advocacy.”
In analyzing the top films in ticket sales, the report doesn’t include the large amount of films produced for streaming platforms and smaller releases. But it does offer a snapshot of how Hollywood is evolving — or not.
And it comes on the heels of the enormous success of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” which has made $1.2 billion worldwide since opening last month and domestically has become the highest grossing movie ever from a female filmmaker. Last year, one in 10 of the biggest box-office films were directed by women, down from record rates in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Some findings in the study point to progress in inclusivity on screen. There are more female leading or co-leading roles in the top grossing movies than ever. Some 44% of such lead roles were girls or women in 2022, a historical high and more than double the rate of 2007 (20%).
Speaking characters from underrepresented ethnic groups have also made sizable gains. In 2022, Black, Hispanic, Asian and other non-white minorities accounted for 38.3% of speaking characters, nearly matching the U.S. population percentage of 41%. Most notably, Asian characters have gone from 3.4% of characters in 2007 to 15.9% last year, a movie year that culminated with the best picture win for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
But other metrics show that the film industry regressed in some areas of diversity during the pandemic. In 2022, the top grossing movies featured 31% of leads from underrepresented ethnic groups, down from 37% in 2021. Out of those 100 2020 movies, 46 didn’t include a Latino speaking character.
“These trends suggest that any improvement for people from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups is limited,” said Smith. “While it is encouraging to see changes for leading characters and for the Asian community, our data on invisibility suggests that there is still much more to be done to ensure that the diversity that exists in reality is portrayed on screen.”
Of the top 100 films in 2022, just 2.1% of speaking characters were LGBTQ+ — roughly the same number as a decade ago. Of the 100 films, 72 didn’t feature a single LGBTQ+ character. Only one was nonbinary.
The number of characters with disabilities has also flatlined. In 2022, 1.9% of speaking characters were depicted with a disability. In 2015, the percentage was 2.4%.
With actors and screenwriters striking over fair pay, AI and other issues, Smith said Thursday’s report should add to the demands of workers on screen and off in Hollywood.
“When people from these communities are rendered invisible both on screen and behind the camera, the need to ensure that every opportunity merits a living wage is essential. This cannot happen if people are not working at all,” said Smith. “Hollywood has a long road ahead to address the exclusion still happening in the industry alongside the concerns actors and writers are bringing to the forefront.”
veryGood! (45)
Related
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- Puzzlers gather 'round the digital water cooler to talk daily games
- Sarah Ferguson Shares Heartwarming Update on Queen Elizabeth II's Corgis One Year After Her Death
- Greek authorities evacuate another village as they try to prevent flooding in a major city
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- Amazon to require some authors to disclose the use of AI material
- Families in Gaza have waited years to move into new homes. Political infighting is keeping them out
- A southern Swiss region votes on a plan to fast-track big solar parks on Alpine mountainsides
- Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
- Huawei is releasing a faster phone to compete with Apple. Here's why the U.S. is worried.
Ranking
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- No, a pound of muscle does not weigh more than a pound of fat. But here's why it appears to.
- After steamy kiss on 'Selling the OC,' why are Alex Hall and Tyler Stanaland just 'friends'?
- Mysterious golden egg found 2 miles deep on ocean floor off Alaska — and scientists still don't know what it is
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Biden finds a new friend in Vietnam as American CEOs look for alternatives to Chinese factories
- Judge denies Mark Meadows' bid to remove his Georgia election case to federal court
- Paris strips Palestinian leader Abbas of special honor for remarks on Holocaust
Recommendation
California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
Travis Barker Returns to Blink-182 Tour After Pregnant Kourtney Kardashian's Emergency Surgery
The US Supreme Court took away abortion rights. Mexico's high court just did the opposite.
Updated COVID shots are coming. They’re part of a trio of vaccines to block fall viruses
Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
Nationals owner Mark Lerner disputes reports about Stephen Strasburg's planned retirement
'He was massive': Mississippi alligator hunters catch 13-foot, 650-pound giant amid storm
Maui mayor dismisses criticism of fire response, touts community's solidarity