Blockbuster films with female leads outperform male-led equivalents at the global box office, a new study has reported.
In a report compiled by media research agency Shift7 in collaboration with leading agency CAA, revenue for 350 high-grossing films released between 2014 and 2017 was assessed, and the average results for female-led films did best, at every budget level.
CAA agent Christy Haubegger said in a statement: “Women comprise half the box office, yet there has been an assumption in the industry that female-led films led were generally less successful. We found that the data does not support that assumption.”
Reinforcing the findings, the report also analysed films that passed the Bechdel test, the informal measure that records if female characters interact and have agency in films independent of male characters. The report concluded that, again, Bechdel test-passing films also outperformed those that failed. These included all the films that passed $1bn at the global box office in the time period (though not all are female-led), including three Star Wars films (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and Rogue One), Beauty and the Beast and Finding Dory. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey from 2012 was the last $1bn-plus film not to pass the Bechdel test.
Amy Pascal, former head of Sony Pictures, said: “This is powerful proof that audiences want to see everyone represented on screen … Decision-makers in Hollywood need to pay attention to this.”
Producer Liza Chasin added: “The Bechdel test is a low bar to clear, and it’s surprising how many movies don’t clear it. Understandably, the studios think about the bottom line, so it’s great to see a growing body of data that should make it easier for executives to make more inclusive decisions.”