A recent study published in Frontiers in Communication examined financial outcomes for almost 200,000 movies released between 1994 and 2023. Researchers found that films with a female screenwriter – even when no female director was involved – produced significantly higher median profits and return‑on‑investment (ROI) than movies created by all‑male teams.
Key financial findings
For the subset of more than 4,200 movies with reliable budget and worldwide gross data, the median profit for female‑written, male‑directed films was $35.9 million, roughly 34% higher than the $26.8 million median profit for male‑only productions. The ROI for those same female‑written films was 1.1, about 25% higher than the 0.88 ROI recorded for all‑male movies.
When women served as both director and screenwriter, the ROI matched that of male‑only films, but those projects operated on roughly half the budget, indicating strong cost efficiency.
Budget distribution remains skewed
Despite the profit advantage, the study confirms that the highest‑budget movies continue to be overwhelmingly male‑led. Male‑only productions accounted for 74.8% of the top 10% of budgets, 78.6% of the top 5%, and 88.6% of the top 1%.
None of the films in the top 1% of production budgets involved a female director, and only five of those top‑budget movies were written by a female screenwriter without a female director. Those five still posted a median profit about $113 million higher than the male‑only median, despite slightly lower budgets.
Slow progress in representation
The share of movies crediting at least one female director or screenwriter rose from 21.5% in 1994 to 29.4% in 2023 – an improvement, yet still fewer than one in three films feature a woman in either role after nearly three decades.
Among the top 5% of budgets, the median profit for female‑written, male‑directed films was $556 million, roughly $86 million above the male‑only median. In the top 10% of budgets, the gap widened to about $134 million.
Possible reasons and suggested actions
While the study did not pinpoint causal factors, prior research suggests decision‑makers may favor familiar personnel to avoid perceived risk, reinforcing the status quo even when financial data points elsewhere.
Lead author Anja Huwiler, a researcher at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, argues that lasting change may require systematic adjustments to hiring and budgeting practices, rather than relying on individual “taking a chance.” She proposes normalizing the search for talent beyond established circles as part of standard staffing decisions.
Methodological notes
Gender identification for the full dataset relied on first‑name inference, which could undercount women from certain cultural backgrounds. The financial subset primarily reflects U.S. theatrical releases, and some categories – such as female directors – were small, limiting the precision of certain findings.
Huwiler emphasizes that viewing the issue through a financial lens adds a compelling argument for studios and investors: the data suggests that incorporating female writing talent can improve profitability without sacrificing budget discipline.
Implications for the industry
These results provide a data‑driven incentive for Hollywood executives to broaden their talent pools. By recognizing that films with female screenwriters can deliver higher returns, studios may find both a moral and economic case for increasing gender diversity behind the camera.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
