For the first time in recent history, the percentage of top-grossing films featuring female protagonists equaled that of male leads — a groundbreaking step toward gender equality in film. Movies like The Substance, Wicked, and Inside Out 2 featured girls and women in leading roles.
Key highlights from recent studies:
✨ 42% of the top 100 films had female leads
✨ 54% featured girls and women as protagonists
✨ 3 of the top 5 and 5 of the top 10 films had female leads
While this marks a major win for representation, the data also reveals a concerning decline for underrepresented racial and ethnic groups — with only 25% of films featuring diverse leads.
True equality should extend across all industries — on-screen and off. This milestone shows that diverse stories resonate with audiences. Now it’s time to push for intersectional representation that reflects the full diversity of our society.
