Why Were There Fewer Top Female Movie Directors in 2018 Than In 2017?

Only eight percent of directors of the 250 most successful Hollywood movies were women in 2018, which is somehow down from the already tiny 11 percent in 2017. Also, this is one percent below the same stat in 1998. That means the number of top female directors has gone down slightly in the past 20 years.

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Katherine J. Igoe
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Ugh. File yet another story under "depressing news from last year": According to Variety, only eight percent of directors of the 250 most successful Hollywood movies were women in 2018, which is somehow down from the already tiny 11 percent in 2017. Also, this is one percent below the same stat in 1998. That means the number of top female directors has gone down slightly in the past 20 years. It hasn't been all bad news, with Ava DuVernay being the first woman of color to direct a film budgeted at more than $100 million (A Wrinkle in Time)—but it's still far from where it needs to be.  

According to the research author, Dr. Martha Luazen, this runs counter to predictions that the industry was finally, finally starting to change for the better. This research “provides no evidence that the mainstream film industry has experienced the profound positive shift predicted by so many industry observers over the last year.” She added that the work of a single studio isn't going to provide the long-lasting change that's needed, which does make a sort of depressing sense.

One other small piece of good news:

So, there are more women represented in the industry as a whole, particularly the big money-making vehicles that represent a good chunk of overall revenue. But there's still fewer women in the top spots. There is most definitely a glass ceiling still in play in Hollywood.

DuVernay is continuing to blaze a trail for others. She just signed a $100 million open-ended deal with Warner Brothers and is continuing to move forward with her indie film production company, ARRAY. She's committed to breaking more barriers—basically, she's just getting started, in other words.

Also, DuVernay continues to be an outspoken champion of women, women of color, and representation in the industry—hopefully bringing some much needed change.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.

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