Blockbusters released in 2018 set new records for leading roles featuring women and people of color. While the barrier-breaking Black Panther and crowd-pleasing romcoms like Crazy Rich Asians and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before are perhaps the most notable examples, the smash hits are also part of a larger trend.
Matters of diversity, and the importance of representation, rank among the most frequently debated questions among audiences and critics alike. Actors have weighed in, too. Karen Gillan, among many others, has spoken out about the need for more diversity. Others, like Scarlett Johansson, have faced criticism for seeming to articulate that diversity shouldn’t come at the expense of art. Even as she said this though, Johansson acknowledged how Hollywood has tended to heavily favor a certain type when it makes casting decisions: white, straight actors. Given recent trends at the box office, and given the fact of audiences continuing to push for more inclusion, the tide seems to be slowly shifting. The details of a new study, which looked at the biggest movies of 2018, provide further hope.
According to Variety, a record number of movies from major studios featured either women in the lead role or members of other underrepresented groups. The news comes as part of a report from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Stripped down to the numbers, 39 of the 100 highest-grossing movies of 2018 had a woman either as the lead or the co-lead. This represented an increase from 33 in 2017, and a substantial increase from when the numbers were first tracked in 2007. Back then, it was only 20 films. Additionally, 27 movies had a lead or a co-lead from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group. In 2017, the number was 21. Delving further into the specifics, 11 films featured a woman from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group. That’s compared to just four in 2017.
The false notions about the failure of films comprised largely of people of color is, in certain ways, shattering. But in other ways, there is definite room for improvement. In addition to being scapegoated as a risky bet for superhero movies, as recently articulated by Kristen Stewart, the LGBTQ community was mostly unseen in major movie releases. A mere 1.3 percent of characters, in the top 1o0 films, were LGBTQ. The statistics were worse for characters with disabilities. At a four-year-low, they accounted for less than 2 percent of all characters.
In an ideal world, Johansson is absolutely right: In general, it shouldn’t matter who is being chosen for which role because every group is getting opportunities and each moviegoer has the option of seeing themselves reflected on the big screen. This new report shows, however, that even with the progress being made, we are not yet close to an ideal world. Diversity is still routinely blamed for any perceived failure of a film, even when it doesn’t apply. Ridiculous casting controversies are also a regular occurrence. But, in the end, Hollywood tends to warm up to whatever brings in the most money and creates the most buzz. As shown by 2018’s biggest successes, catering to a broader audience can be an immensely lucrative strategy.
More: Diversity In Movie Directors Hit 5-Year Low in 2017; Women Made Gains
Source: Variety
