A Long-Running Hollywood Study Has Just Identified a Major Change in Our On-Screen Characters
Now here’s something new: according to a new study, in 2024, the percentage of top-grossing films featuring female protagonists equaled the percentage of films with male protagonists. This news come from the latest “It’s a Man’s (Celluloid) World” report released today by Dr. Martha Lauzen, founder and executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University.
In her annual study, now in its 23rd year, Dr. Lauzen found that 42 percent of the 100 top domestic grossing films had female protagonists, while 42 percent had male protagonists (16 percent of films featured ensembles). What’s the word you’re looking for? Parity. (For the purposes of the study, the center’s official press release notes that “protagonists are the characters from whose perspective the story is told.”)
More from IndieWire
Not only does the 2024 study show parity in these protagonist roles (for the first time since Dr. Lauzen began investigating such numbers, again, 23 years ago), it also shows a major uptick from 2023. That year, 28 percent of the top 100 films were told from a female perspective.
“2024 offered one of the richest slates of films featuring female protagonists in recent memory. These fictional women railed against unsatisfying personal relationships and discriminatory work environments. Films such as ‘The Substance’ pushed back hard against a culture that considers women disposable,” Dr. Lauzen said in an official statement.
Still, even armed with films like “The Substance,” Dr. Lauzen offered caution that ageism remains an issue. In more deeply exploring overall characters in these top-grossing films, not just protagonists, the study landed on other key findings.
Per the study, the percentage of female characters plummeted from 35 percent in their thirties to 16 percent in their forties. When it comes to male characters, however, the percentage of male characters increased as they moved from their thirties (25 percent) to their forties (31 percent). And, more than twice as many male characters as females were 50 and older.
“These female characters are the exception, not the rule,” she said. “Age is a foundational characteristic. If we limit the age of female characters on screen, we limit the kinds of experiences and lives we see them live. Our films largely fail to take advantage of the depth of character that comes from women’s lived experiences and the added dramatic push characters confront when they know they’re in their third act.”
You can check out the full study, and more information about the center, right here.
Best of IndieWire
Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
