Women still face steep challenges securing top movie jobs

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Last year, women made up just 13% of directors working on the top 250 films.

A new study from San Diego State University, released on Thursday, shows that women directed 13% of the highest-earning films this year. This is down 3 percentage points from 2024, when they directed 16%.

This concerning count arrives as Hollywood tries to move past a difficult year marked by the Los Angeles wildfires, a continuing drop in local film and TV production, and the loss of several well-known filmmakers.

Films like “Hamnet” directed by Chloé Zhao, “Freakier Friday” by Nisha Ganatra, and “I Know What You Did Last Summer” with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson at the helm, stood out as some of the few bright spots.

As a long-time film fan, I’ve always been interested in who’s making the movies, not just who’s in them. For almost thirty years, the folks at the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film – especially its founder, Martha Lauzen – have been carefully tracking the numbers of women in key creative roles behind the camera. They look at jobs like directing, writing, producing, editing, and cinematography. Their latest report is based on a huge sample – over 3,500 credits from the biggest box office hits – so it gives a really clear picture of where things stand.

In 1998, Lauzen began working to highlight the lack of representation for women in Hollywood, believing this would create more opportunities for them. However, despite numerous appeals for change and even a brief federal investigation, the situation hasn’t improved much.

Lauzen noted the figures have remained consistently steady, stating they haven’t changed much in over 25 years.

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During Sunday’s Golden Globes, Natalie Portman pointed out that all of the best director nominees were men, and the audience in the ballroom reacted with a quiet surprise.

A recent report, “The Celluloid Ceiling,” found that women held 23% of key behind-the-scenes roles – including director, writer, producer, editor, and cinematographer – on the 250 highest-grossing films in 2025. This percentage is consistent with findings from 2024 and 2020.

According to her research, women will make up 28% of film producers and 23% of executive producers in 2025.

Among the ranks of screenwriters, only 20% were women.

Women also made up 20% of editors, matching the level in 1998, when Lauzen began her study.

“There’s been absolutely no change,” she said.

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Skydance also pledged to hire an independent representative, or ombudsman, for CBS News to help ensure openness and responsibility within the news organization. Skydance’s CEO, David Ellison, has also spoken with journalist Bari Weiss, who is known for her center-right views.

As a total film buff, I was really struck by some recent stats – it turns out women only handled the cinematography on a tiny 7% of the 250 highest-grossing movies. It’s honestly pretty shocking and highlights how much work still needs to be done to get more women behind the camera in these key creative roles.

The cinematographer, also known as the director of photography, is a key creative force in filmmaking, responsible for the visual style and overall mood. However, representation of women in this role decreased last year, following a period where they made up 12% of all cinematographers in 2024.

The number of women directing major films has slowly increased since 1998. Back then, only 7% of top-grossing movies were directed by women. Last year, that number improved by 6 percentage points.

As a longtime movie fan, I’ve been following the discussions around representation in Hollywood for years. It’s interesting to remember that about ten years ago, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission actually started looking into possible gender discrimination in the industry. It all began with a push from the ACLU, but unfortunately, that investigation didn’t really go anywhere. Then, just over a year later, with President Obama leaving office and President Trump taking over, things seemed to shift dramatically in terms of how these issues were viewed.

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In 2017, fueled by the courage of women like Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan and the #MeToo movement, women began to take control of the conversation about abuse and harassment in Hollywood.

Recent events have made finding consistent work in Hollywood more difficult. The major film and television studios reduced production during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then both writers and actors went on strike in 2023, further disrupting employment.

For years, company leaders have talked about wanting more diversity in top positions, while a lack of equity has even become the subject of jokes. However, the situation is finally starting to shift.

As a big movie buff, I was pretty disappointed to see that, shortly after getting back into office, the current president immediately moved to dismantle diversity and inclusion initiatives. It felt like a step backwards for representation, both on and off screen, and honestly, for the country as a whole.

Brendan Carr, the head of the Federal Communications Commission under Trump, eliminated diversity initiatives at his agency and began examining the hiring practices of companies like Disney and Comcast. He believes these programs unfairly disadvantage white individuals and wants to stop them.

David Ellison, the head of Paramount, agreed to end all diversity and inclusion programs at the company—including CBS and Comedy Central—in order to gain approval from the FCC for his family’s purchase of Paramount. The deal was completed in August.

Lauzen said she’s unsure what her future studies may find.

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For Subscribers

Even before the L.A. fires, Hollywood jobs were hard to find. Will the work ever come back?

Let’s be real, things are shifting dramatically in Hollywood – with all the new tech, financial pressures, and the industry becoming so global. And honestly, as someone who’s been watching this world for a while, it’s hitting me that a lot of the jobs we’ve lost aren’t coming back. It’s a tough pill to swallow for those working in the industry, but it’s the reality we’re facing.

Corporate consolidation has added to the uncertainty.

Warner Bros., a signature Hollywood studio for more than a century, is on the auction block.

Last month, Warner Bros. Discovery decided to sell its film and TV studios, including HBO and HBO Max, to Netflix for $82.7 billion. But Paramount, owned by the Ellison family, is challenging this deal and has made an offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery directly from its investors.

According to a recent report, the film industry is facing major restructuring that could lead to job cuts and potentially change how people go to the movies, as consolidation looms large.

According to Lauzen, the current political climate surrounding diversity has created a new and challenging situation for women in film. While Hollywood historically hasn’t needed an excuse to underrepresent women, she argues that this political environment now effectively gives the industry permission to do so.

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2026-01-01 11:31