The number of female protagonists in hit films was at an all-time high in 2016, according to a new study.

The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film found that women led 29% of the top 100 grossing films of the year, which was up 7% from the year before and represents a new record.



Female-fronted films such as Arrival, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Bad Moms and Ghostbusters were notable examples and the year also saw a rise in women appearing within mixed ensembles. A reported 37% of films included major female characters, up 3% from 2015 and another all-time high.

“We have now seen over and over and over that female characters, when done well, they’re good box office,” said Martha Mauzen, who authored the study. Following in the footsteps of the female-fronted franchise relaunch The Force Awakens, Rogue One was also a big hit, making over $1bn at the worldwide box office, with Felicity Jones in the lead.

Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Kathryn Hahn in Bad Moms. Photograph: Michele K Short/AP

The year also saw a number of sleeper hits, such as Bad Moms which made $179m worldwide from a $20m budget. A sequel is now on the way. While there was a wide representation in other genres, such as the Amy Adams-fronted Arrival, women are still more likely to be seen in a comedy, followed by drama, horror, animation and and sci-fi. Action films are still the rarity, with just 3% of female leads.

“It is possible that this is something of a quirk that we will not see repeated in the future,” Lauzen added. “It is also possible that introducing female protagonists is somehow an easier, less threatening fix than hiring women directors and writers.”

The findings follow a damning report from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that found that studios are guilty of discriminating against female directors with possible legal action in the works. Women are more likely to be the lead with a female director in charge, accounting for 57% of the time compared to 18% with a male director.

The study also found that Hollywood still favors white female leads, with Asian characters rising to 6%, black female characters going up to 14%, but Hispanic women falling to just 3%.

This year has already shown that women can open movies, with Nasa drama Hidden Figures making $165m at the global box office. 2017 will also see female-fronted blockbusters such as Wonder Woman, Beauty and the Beast, Alien: Covenant and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.