Women Directors Face Significant Decline in Top-Grossing Films in 2025, New Report Shows
A recent study reveals that only nine women directors were responsible for the highest-grossing films at the domestic box office in 2025.
The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative report indicates that out of 111 directors for the top 100-grossing films, women led a mere 8.1%—a significant decrease from 13.4% in 2024.
Notable women directors featured in 2025’s lineup include Nisha Ganatra (*Freakier Friday*), Emma Tammi (*Five Nights at Freddy’s 2*), Domee Shi (*Elio*), Madeline Sharafian (*Elio*), Celine Song (*Materialists*), Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (*I Know What You Did Last Summer*), Maggie Kang (*KPop Demon Hunters*), Hikari (*Rental Family*), and Chloé Zhao, a previous recipient of the Best Director Oscar for her work on *Hamnet*.
The report asserts that the lack of female directors is not indicative of a deficiency in talent, highlighting that women of color received the highest accolades.
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“It is clear that when it comes to directors, hiring decisions are not made solely on the basis of performance,” said Stacy L. Smith, the study’s author, in a news release. “If that were the case, then women of color would receive significantly more opportunities to work behind the camera in film.”
Among the 111 directors, only six, or 5.4%, were women of color—marking a historic shift, as this is the first time in the 19-year study where women of color outnumber white women directors.
Notably, major studios such as Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and Lionsgate did not hire any female directors for the films included in the Annenberg study in 2025.
