Progress for women in Hollywood, but lack of diversity persists

A 2025 report from the University of Southern California found that out of the top 100 movies in 2024, more than half featured a story centered on a female actor as a lead or co-lead. This is the first time representation has been above the U.S. Census, where girls and women comprise 50.5% of the population.

However, the report said that representation fell for people of color in film.

The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative examined 1,800 top-grossing films from 2007 to 2024. It assessed the gender, race, ethnicity, and age of each movie's leading and co-leading actors.

“This is the first time we can say that gender equality has been reached in top-grossing films,” said Dr. Stacy L. Smith, founder of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative.

"This is not the result of an economic awakening, but is due to several different constituencies and efforts - at advocacy groups, studios, through DEI initiatives - to assert the need for equality on screen," Smith added.

Films like "Wicked" with lead Cynthia Erivo, "Anora" with lead Mikey Madison, and Anya Taylor-Joy in "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" set the stage for these gains in Hollywood gender equality.

The USC report said 54 of the 100 top-grossing films in 2024 featured a girl or woman in a lead or co-lead role.

This reflects an increase from 2023 when only 30 movies featured a female-identified protagonist.

Over half of the films distributed by Universal Pictures (66.7%), Warner Bros. Pictures (55.6%), and Lionsgate (54.5%) featured a female actor as the lead or co-lead of the story, the report found.

At Paramount Pictures (44.4%), Walt Disney Studios (40%), and Sony Pictures Entertainment (38.5%), about 40% or more of films were centered on a female lead or co-lead.

However, the number of leads and co-leads from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups has declined significantly. In 2024, only 25 of the top 100 films featured a lead of color, a decrease from 2023, when 37 leads or co-leads were people of color.

A third of all Paramount Pictures films released in 2024 featured a lead or co-lead of color, with Lionsgate (27.3%) and Universal Pictures (26.7%) having similar demographics.

Walt Disney Studios (20%), Sony Pictures Entertainment (15.4%) and Warner Bros. Pictures (11.1%) reflected even lower numbers.

In 2024, no distributors reached proportional representation with the U.S. Census (41.6%).

“This downturn signifies a lack of investment in storytelling that reflects the audience as a whole,” Smith said.

“The reality is that audiences want to see stories about women and people of color — studios and filmmakers do not have to choose between the two,” she added.

Thirteen films in 2024 had a woman of color lead or co-lead, similar to USC’s 2023 report and higher than the 2007 report.

“While this year's findings mark a historic step towards proportional representation for women, there is still work to be done for women of color,” said Katherine Neff, the study’s lead author.