Oh, what a tragedy: Hollywood has seen a significant decline in films with female protagonists.

Oh, what a tragedy: Hollywood sees a sharp decline in films with female leads

Among the 100 highest-grossing films of 2025, only 39 featured a woman in the lead role — a level that brings the film industry back to 2018 figures. This is according to a study by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative.

A record was set in 2024 — 55 films with a female protagonist, making the current drop particularly sharp.

The age disparity was even more pronounced. Actresses over 45 received leading roles in only four projects from the list. For comparison: their male colleagues in the same age category had 30 such roles.

Furthermore, there is not a single film in the top 100 where the lead heroine over 45, belonging to an ethnic minority, was played by an actress from that same group.

The worst indicators for the representation of female roles among distributors are Paramount (12.5%) and Warner Bros. (20%). The leader in this parameter was Universal Pictures with a share of 54.2%.