In Hollywood there are many female protagonists, but very few female directors Even in TV series
For a moment we deluded ourselves that the revolution was taking place. Women were finally beginning to conquer Hollywood as protagonists, directors, screenwriters and showrunners. There were Fleabag and Girls, I May Destroy You and Big Little Lies. There were Greta Gerwig, Michaela Coel, Phoebe Waller-Bridge. There were stories that for years had been considered too specific, too feminine or simply uninteresting for the general public and that, suddenly, had become prestigious television. It was becoming clear that the female experience had value and reason to be told and that an enormous audience was waiting, hungry, for its representation on screen. We were beginning to get used to the idea that cinema and serials had finally become more open, accessible and progressive spaces. Then, however, we paused our eyes behind the camera.
Female directors and showrunners on the decline: what the data say about the female presence in Hollywood
According to the latest “Boxed In” report from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at the University of San Diego, the percentage of women who created original series for US streaming platforms has fallen from 36% in the 2024-25 season to 24% in the 2025-26 season. Female directors also went from 32% to 22%. Unfortunately, we are not even talking about a small step backwards, because the numbers are even lower than those recorded almost ten years ago, in the 2017-18 season. It might seem like a tedious issue, made up of percentages and statistics; but, in reality, it's a much simpler topic that touches us closely. Because if it is true that culture reflects society, we have to wonder if space for women is continuing to decrease and, as spectators, we should ask ourselves: who decides what we watch?
@aritheearchitect What other thing did a woman do in a movie that inspired you? #filmtok #early2000s #womeninfilm #disney Mouse click sound - moromi
Representation and power: who is really telling the story of women's lives?
Seeing a woman on the screen, and therefore in front of the camera, does not necessarily mean that she had a voice in the construction of the story we are following. The protagonist can be a woman, the story can be that of a woman; a series can talk about motherhood, abortion, violence, desire, body, friendship or female identity without any woman having had a decision-making role in its creation. In short, women's lives are told by men. Don't worry, this doesn't mean that a television or movie product written or directed by a man is automatically wrong or of less value. However, it clearly indicates that representation and power are not the same thing and, very often, they are not even intertwined.
@jesschatsnews A new study has found that films are more likely to star a talking animal or a man named Chris than a woman over 60 #filmtok #movies #women #ageism #movienews For years we asked Hollywood: 'Where are the women? ' And here they are: more protagonists, female characters and stories about their experiences. But we haven't given as much importance to a question that is perhaps even more relevant, namely: who is telling these stories? From what point of view does it do it? Let's think, for example, of the behind-the-scenes video of Euphoria, in which Sydney Sweeney was seen almost completely naked filmed by a totally male crew. Can the story of a woman seeking empowerment in the sex industry be told by a man without touching fetishization?
The importance of the feminine gaze in seriality and cinema
All of these are no small distinctions. The report shows us that when at least one woman is among the creators of a series, the female presence also increases in other creative roles. When we started talking about female representation as a battle already won, we left out the most important point. We saw more women on screen and we thought the problem was solved. But a protagonist is not a revolution. A director is not a revolution. A women's series is not a revolution.
@isabellaonfilm Why is female pain so beautiful in cinema? #filmtok #womeninfilm #sadgirl original sound - Isabella Speaight
The revolution comes when a woman can enter the authors' room without her presence being considered a particular choice. When telling a story about women is not perceived as a political gesture. When a woman can be mediocre, ambitious, mean, funny, selfish, complex without her gender having to be the reason she was hired. When will we stop counting how many women have been nominated for prestigious awards to understand if the season we attend will be fairly equal. We have made the mistake of confusing a season of change with a definitive transformation. We have traded mere presence for power, visibility and equality. This new report, on the other hand, reminds us that an open door can be safely closed. We thought we had done it but, apparently, not yet.