The resounding success of “Barbie” masks a bleak reality: the share of Hollywood films starring a woman has decreased, according to a report published this Thursday.
Only a third of the feature films produced last year by the American industry centered on a heroine, according to the Hollywood Diversity Report, revealed a few days before the Oscars which will take place on Sunday.
And this, despite the domination of “Barbie”, the feminist satire by Greta Gerwig with Margot Robbie in the lead.
The film established itself as the world box office champion, with 1.4 billion dollars in revenue.
"Even as 'Barbie' broke records, the industry showed that it continued to undervalue female-centered and female-led films," said the report, produced by UCLA University.
“Women have lost ground in terms of representation, whether for lead roles, screenwriters and all actors,” observe the researchers.
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The share of films with a female lead character increased steadily over the decade to 2019, the report said.
That year, 44% of films produced in Hollywood followed the adventures of a heroine.
But this proportion has been declining since then: in 2023, only 32% of Hollywood films had a woman as the main character.
" Alarm signal "
“This is a wake-up call for Hollywood,” said Ana-Christina Ramon, co-founder of the project and director of UCLA's Entertainment and Media Research Initiative.
“Studios need to invest in women and their stories.
Film creators and viewers are an integral part of the industry's growth.
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This annual report is in its 12th edition.
It established that films with more diverse casts, including a greater proportion of non-white actors, tend to perform better at the box office.
Major sequels to franchises whose actors are at least half people belonging to an ethnic minority thus attract more spectators than previous installments, indicates the report, which cites the successes of “Creed III”, “Scream VI” and “ John Wick 4”.
During the release weekend of such films in the United States, ethnic minority audiences made up at least six out of ten tickets purchased, according to the report.
“When the film industry gives them what they want, people of color deliver, year after year,” recalled Ms. Ramon.