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[Men_in_Boxes]

Director Chloe Zhao has some thoughts...

"Speaking at a Women in Motion talk at the Palm Springs film festival on Monday, Zhao was asked for her response to a recent study that found just nine of the 111 directors behind last year's 100 top grossing films in the US were women.

Zhao is on the list with awards season favourite, Hamnet, a poetic exploration of the grief experienced by William Shakespeare (played by Paul Mescal) and his wife, Agnes Hathaway (Jessie Buckley). The film won Buckley a Critics Choice award last weekend for her raw performance as mother struggling with the death of her son.

"What I've learned from making Hamnet," said Zhao, "is that feminine leadership – and that doesn't mean just women, it means the feminine consciousness in all people – is drawing strength from interdependence, not dominance. So it's drawing strength from intuition, relationships, community and interdependence.

"So it doesn't fit into the current model that we exist in, the container we exist in. It's difficult to come through, and I feel very lucky that I had people in power that trusted that this way of leading is needed for this story."

The annual USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative surveys the gender, race and ethnicity of directors across the top performing US films. This year's study recorded a considerable year-on-year decline for female directors, with 8.1% of the US's 100 highest-grossing films helmed by women in 2025, compared with 13.4% (15 women) the previous year.

Chloé Zhao says ‘feminine consciousness’ incompatible with current Hollywood model

Responding to new reporting finding only nine of the directors behind 2025’s 100 top-grossing US films were women, Hamnet film-maker questions industry’s capacity for inclusivity

www.theguardian.com

 

[winjer]

Maybe start making movies that people want to watch, instead of propaganda pieces that appeal only to political activists.

 

[falconhoof]

Chloé Zhao, the Oscar-winning director of Nomadland, has said that the US film industry is not set up to foster gender diversity.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Men will usually put more effort in such things. You can talk around it as much as you want but we men have an innate desire to impress and compete. Women don't have that. Hence the top end of each spectrum will be male dominated. It's not rocket science.

 

[Grildon Tundy]

Gross doesn't always reflect quality.

 

[SJRB]

Have they considered that they just might be trash at directing movies?

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Maybe start making movies that people want to watch, instead of propaganda pieces that appeal only to political activists.

This is a "dominance centered minset". Please embrace your vagina to a greater degree and support art that isn't as interesting to you.

The future is female.

 

[willothedog]

9 too many.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Gross doesn't always reflect quality.

 

[AJUMP23]

Where is the Michael Bay for women? Blow some stuff up. Have a fun plot.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Chloé Zhao, the Oscar-winning director of Nomadland, has said that the US film industry is not set up to foster gender diversity.

That's a good little CCP/Marxist puppet. Here are more directorial jobs for you.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

Maybe start making movies that people want to watch, instead of propaganda pieces that appeal only to political activists.

No no, you misunderstood. The concept of profit is a relic of the patriarchy.
Movies are not meant to attract an audience, they are bonding experiences meant to be cherished by those who participated in making them, that is where they're true value lies.
Every movie is equally beautiful because people are complex and incomparable to each other.

 

[DeepEnigma]

No no, you misunderstood. The concept of profit is a relic of the patriarchy.
Movies are not meant to attract an audience, they are bonding experiences meant to be cherished by those who participated in making them, that is where they're true value lies.
Every movie is equally beautiful because people are complex and incomparable with each other.

"But really, we do secretly love the capitalist system, we just want to seize the capitalism you built."

 

[poppabk]

Men will usually put more effort in such things. You can talk around it as much as you want but we men have an innate desire to impress and compete. Women don't have that. Hence the top end of each spectrum will be male dominated. It's not rocket science.

This is highest grossing movies not best movies, not sure how it would break down if you went by top 100 critical or audience reception.
If Julius Onah was looking to impress me with Captain America Brave New World - he failed.

 

[nush]

Director Chloe Zhao

Not one mention of The Eternals in that whole article. Says a lot.

 

[Bark]

This is a stupid metric. You had 15 women make moves in 24, and 9 in 25. maybe the 6 are still making their movies or have been delayed. Its not that deep

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

This is a stupid metric. You had 15 women make moves in 24, and 9 in 25. maybe the 6 are still making their movies or have been delayed. Its not that deep

Both numbers are pretty low, regardless.

 

[DKehoe]

Maybe start making movies that people want to watch, instead of propaganda pieces that appeal only to political activists.

I get Nomadland maybe isn't for everyone. But I wouldn't say it only appeals to political activists.

 

[JCK75]

Surely the only explanation is sexism.

 

[Joramun]

Because they suck.

The best chefs are men too. Even in their own field women suck.

Women are better at sucking than men. That's it.

 

[kruis]

 

[daffyduck]

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

"Only?"

8 more than what it should be.

 

[ZehDon]

Unless the insinuation is that every US film goer looks up the director of every theatrical film they go and see to determine their gender and then actively avoids the ones directed by women, the result can only be determined as the market is not interested in what they're selling. I suspect the result will be determined as: the market is wrong.

 

[falconhoof]

The Matrix was one of the biggest movie events in the world and that was made by two women, so I've been told to say.

 

[BigDeadFreak]

Men will usually put more effort in such things. You can talk around it as much as you want but we men have an innate desire to impress and compete. Women don't have that. Hence the top end of each spectrum will be male dominated. It's not rocket science.

Although, ironically men also dominate rocket science for the same reasons.

 

[thefool]

What is a woman

 

[bitbydeath]

The Matrix was one of the biggest movie events in the world and that was made by two women, so I've been told to say.

 

[JeTmAn81]

The Matrix was one of the biggest movie events in the world and that was made by two women, so I've been told to say.

Um lol. This is a bit whatever but you would not believe the reaction from people when I tell them I saw The Matrix on release in 1999 and it did indeed credit "The Wachowski Brothers".

Anyway, yeah males continue to dominate an industry in a society that has historically repressed women and boxed them out of many professions. Water is wet, grass is green.

 

[GnomeChimpsky]

"What I've learned from making Hamnet," said Zhao, "is that feminine leadership – and that doesn't mean just women, it means the feminine consciousness in all people – is drawing strength from interdependence, not dominance. So it's drawing strength from intuition, relationships, community and interdependence.

Did Kamala Harris write this speech?

 

[Fbh]

Because women tend to make more movies like this

Hamnet, a poetic exploration of the grief experienced by William Shakespeare (played by Paul Mescal) and his wife, Agnes Hathaway (Jessie Buckley). The film won Buckley a Critics Choice award last weekend for her raw performance as mother struggling with the death of her son.

Which might be a great movie (I don't know, haven't seen it) but it's not the sort of stuff that will make the most money.

 

[Senua]

Um lol. This is a bit whatever but you would not believe the reaction from people when I tell them I saw The Matrix on release in 1999 and it did indeed credit "The Wachowski Brothers".

Anyway, yeah males continue to dominate an industry in a society that has historically repressed women and boxed them out of many professions. Water is wet, grass is green.

*Sisters, you criminal scum.

 

[bitbydeath]

I don't know if this is accurate but this is what AI returned as the top 9.

These nine female directors and their films (which cracked the top 100 grossers) were:


1. Nisha Ganatra — Freakier Friday (a Disney sequel/remake in the Freaky Friday franchise)


2. Emma Tammi — Five Nights at Freddy's 2 (horror sequel, noted as one of the highest-grossing among female-directed films that year)


3. Domee Shi (co-director) — Elio (Pixar animated film)


4. Madeline Sharafian (co-director) — Elio (Pixar animated film)


5. Celine Song — Materialists (romantic comedy/drama)


6. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson — I Know What You Did Last Summer (horror/slasher reboot)


7. Maggie Kang — KPop Demon Hunters (animated film)


8. Hikari — Rental Family (drama)


9. Chloé Zhao — Hamnet (historical/drama adaptation)

 

[jason10mm]

Only 9 women in the top 100. ZERO women in the top 30 grossing directors. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_film_directors

Gotta go to #48 for the first woman, Jennifer Lee, who has only done 2 films, the Frozen films, both co-directed with a man. https://www.the-numbers.com/box-off...ide/lifetime-specific-technical-role/director

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

she made the millenials or something like that for marvel, right?

 

[Senua]

2. Emma Tammi — Five Nights at Freddy's 2 (horror sequel, noted as one of the highest-grossing among female-directed films that year)

 

[Zathalus]

That's roughly in line with the ratio of male to female directors in Hollywood.

It's mostly a male dominated field.

 

[Tams]

It's like how female comedians are almost all not funny.

And even the few funny ones take take stuff too far and become preachy eventually.

 

[Uberman77]

I didn't want to read everything in that first post, but I assume Chloe Zhao took responsibility for her and other female director's poor performance and promised to do better.

 

[Trilobit]

Becoming a director or at all working as a creative takes a lot of courage as it's so uncertain if you'll even have work for a few months in that field. It makes sense that more men than women are brave enough to risk their livelihood. So I don't mourn the balance between men and women in that business. Women need to do better and take more brave chances, not just ask others to step aside for them.

 

[GymWolf]

Because they suck.

The best chefs are men too. Even in their own field women suck.

Women are better at sucking than men. That's it.

Unless you tried being sucked by a gay man, you can't even be sure of that.

 

[Lambogenie]

Why does everything need to point out gender. Yes, fields are dominated and not purely due to sexism. Sometimes it's just good talent or product. Maybe a little dick sucking will help, sure, but the product will sell if it's great.

Besides, surely it wasn't just men who led and directed stuff like Lalaland and what not...was it?

 

[falconhoof]

This has been a good excuse to do a bit of rabbit hole exploring, as I wanted to get a picture on women and film. I came across Alice Guy, the first woman to direct movies starting in 1896 where she was working at a company in France that got some cameras from the Lumiere brothers. She eventually moved to the US with her then husband to make more films, setting up a studio, but due to some shit involving Edison (not sure on the details) they became bankrupt. Her husband managed to land more work (in around 1919) and she did not, I believe she cited being a woman was a barrier despite her experience. I can believe that for the time.

Alice Guy | Director, Producer, Writer

Known for: The Woman of Mystery, Shadows of the Moulin Rouge, My Madonna

www.imdb.com

Here's a 1900 remake of her first film (<1 minute long) due to the original being destroyed as film stock was not well handled or understood I guess meaning likely most films of this period are long gone.



Here's a 1906 comedy short, which I think is really good.



In all, I doubt many people would argue that in the past shitty actions have been taken by people which has resulted in potential talent from finding their opportunity, and gender based stuff is just one way of many, class, nationality, network, the world isn't a fair place. However, you have two options: moan about it or get on with it. If someone puts up a barrier, find another way, or give up if you don't have the drive. But being a massively privileged Hollywood director and fucking getting the press to write up your sob story as you cash in million dollar Hollywood cheques is only capturing the emotions of those who too want to ride on that victimhood express.

 

[ADiTAR]

She was given a big superhero opportunity with Eternals and botched it.

 

[intbal]

Where is the Michael Bay for women? Blow some stuff up. Have a fun plot.

Lexi Alexander

She directed Punisher: War Zone. Better than anything with Bernthal in it.
She mostly does TV now, though.

 

[jason10mm]

In all, I doubt many people would argue that in the past shitty actions have been taken by people which has resulted in potential talent from finding their opportunity, and gender based stuff is just one way of many, class, nationality, network, the world isn't a fair place. However, you have two options: moan about it or get on with it. If someone puts up a barrier, find another way, or give up if you don't have the drive. But being a massively privileged Hollywood director and fucking getting the press to write up your sob story as you cash in million dollar Hollywood cheques is only capturing the emotions of those who too want to ride on that victimhood express.

For sure. Women can whine and whine about how they "get locked out by mean old men" but the truth is, WOMEN DO NOT SUPPORT OTHER WOMEN. Ain't no lady willing to cough up even a fraction of their $$$ to create a studio by women and then that gets supported by women. They don't show up to support each other in the WNBA and they won't show up to put $$$ into a theater ticket specifically because a woman directed the picture. Women only do low bar stuff like watch TV, which is why women directors/producers probably do FAR better there than in film and shit like The View can exist.

There is no MANdate that women can not make movies. There is no global system or law. It's just "money speaks" and a track record that doesn't encourage future investment.

JK Rowling, for example, could finance an all women led remake of her books out of her loose couch change, but she doesn't. Why? Either because she doesn't care about pushing women to that extent or covets even that pocket change she knows will likely be lost in the venture.

In my experience men are far more supportive of other men taking on risk and chance, even if they feel it's gonna end in disaster "sure buddy, you are 5' 5" but go hit on that 6 foot Swedish supermodel over by the bar! Good luck!"

 

[Big-G]

There really aren't many female filmmakers. It takes a special kind of person to even attempt to make a good movie. Another classic case of "we need more women in this industry because men are being gatekeepers, sexist." In reality, not many women want to do that job, and few people overall are cut out to be successful in such a high-stress and fast-paced environment.

 

[Woggleman]

The question is what do they want done about it? You can't force people to see a movie they don't want to see and the more men are pushed into something the more they revolt. This gender push is having the opposite effect that they intended.

It is ironic that these activists think they are as so enlightened and evolved but the so called dark ages were an Era where Sarah Conner and Ripley could peacefully coexist with Rambo and John McLane.

 

[T-0800]

The Matrix was one of the biggest movie events in the world and that was made by two women, so I've been told to say.

How many good movies after that?

 

[Grildon Tundy]

Kathryn Bigelow (James Cameron's ex-wife) seems like the exception that proves the rule trend of the subject matter and tone that female directors gravitate towards. She directed Zero Dark Thirty, The Hurt Locker, Near Dark, and K-19: The Widowmaker amongst many other movies.