Entertainment

Women still face steep challenges securing top movie jobs

January 1, 2026

Chloe Zhao, center, directed “Hamnet,” one of the few major films released in 2025 helmed by a woman. Also pictured on set are the director of photography, Lukasz Zal, left, and actors Jessie Buckley, seated, and Paul Mescal, right. (Agata Grzybowska / Focus Features) By Meg JamesStaff Writer Follow Jan.

Director of photography Lukasz Zal, director Chloe Zhao and actors Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal on the set of their film HAMNET, a Focus Features release. Credit: Agata Grzybowska / © 2025 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

Credit: (Agata Grzybowska / Focus Features)

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1, 2026 12:01 AM PT 6 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied!
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Last year, women made up just 13% of directors working on the top 250 films.
That level represents a 3-percentage-point decline from 2024, when women led 16% of the top-grossing movies, according to a San Diego State University study released Thursday.

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Women still face steep challenges securing top movie jobs

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Women still face steep challenges securing top movie jobs

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