A recent study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative reveals a troubling trend in the film industry: the number of girls and women leading top films has reached a seven-year low in 2025. Out of the 100 top-grossing films, only 39 featured a girl or woman in a lead or co-lead role, a significant decline from 2024's record high of 55 films. This marks the lowest total since 2018, when 40 films achieved this milestone. The study's author, Dr. Stacy L. Smith, highlights a concerning pattern: underrepresented female leads or co-leads struggled to find their place in 2025, mirroring the previous years (2024 and 2023) with 15 films each. Even more alarming, no film in 2025 showcased a woman of color aged 45 or older in a leading or co-leading role, while only six films featured an underrepresented male-identified lead or co-lead in the same age bracket. The study singles out Paramount and Warner Bros. as the worst-performing distributors, with Universal, Lionsgate, and Disney leading the way in terms of female representation. Universal boasts over half (54.2%) of its films centered on a female lead or co-lead, followed by Lionsgate (50%) and Disney (43.7%). In contrast, Warner Bros. (20%) and Paramount (12.5%) trail behind. When it comes to underrepresented representation, Disney, Lionsgate, and Sony Pictures excel, with half of their films led by people of color. However, Universal and Warner Bros. fall short, with only 25% and 20% of their films, respectively, featuring underrepresented leads. The study's findings are particularly concerning regarding a potential merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Dr. Smith warns that such an acquisition would be devastating for actors identifying as women and people of color. Conversely, the study is more optimistic about a Netflix/Warner Bros. merger, suggesting it would result in more films centered on women and people of color in significant leading roles, aligning with Netflix's impressive track record since 2019, where at least half of its films feature women in lead or co-lead roles, achieving proportional representation for underrepresented leads in all but one recent year.
