Even at the highest levels of prestige, the disparity persists. A 2025 study from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that the percentage of top-grossing films with female protagonists plummeted from 42 percent in 2024 to 29 percent in 2025, while 53 percent of films had male protagonists. In 2025, only four women over 45 played leads in Hollywood’s top 100 films, compared to 31 men.
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: Evelyn is sidelined by a young, tech-obsessed director who views her methodical "cut-by-feel" style as archaic. She is relegated to an advisory role, mirrored by real-world statistics showing female characters over 40 dropped to just 14% of leading roles in 2022. Even at the highest levels of prestige, the
The narrative has changed.