Overview
- Only nine of 111 directors of the year’s 100 highest-grossing U.S. films were women, down from 15 in 2024.
- Women of color accounted for six directors (5.4%) and, for the first time in the 19-year series, outnumbered white women (three), with their films posting the highest average and median Metacritic scores.
- Universal and Disney have led women-director hiring over the 19-year span, yet in 2025 Disney had three and Universal two while Paramount, Warner Bros. and Lionsgate had none.
- Underrepresented racial and ethnic directors comprised 24.3% in 2025, essentially flat from 2024 and up from 12.5% in 2007.
- Representation was stronger on other platforms, including Sundance’s 2026 U.S. Dramatic Competition (63.6% women directors), TV episodes in 2023–24 (37%), and Netflix films in 2024 (20.5%).