Heroines rock the box office
Feature films starring women draw in more money around the world than those starring men, says an analysis published by the agencies CAA and Shift7. Analysts reviewed 350 Hollywood blockbusters for the study.
Girl power in Black Panther
This 2018 action thriller featuring Florence Kasumba, Angela Bassett and Letitia Wright embodies emancipation on multiple levels, highlighting empowered black characters as well as women warriors. Set in the fictional African nation of Wakanda, "Black Panther" pays attention to modern-day sensitivities with regard to gender roles and social identities.
Gal Gadot: Wonder Woman from Israel
Former Miss Israel Gal Gadot's performance transformed the DC Extended Universe thriller "Wonder Woman" into a feminist manifesto. Grossing $822 million (€720 million) at box offices worldwide, it was the 10th most successful movie of 2017, topping cinema charts for weeks-on-end.
Rogue One: Felicity Jones and the Bechdel test
"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" was the second most successful movie of 2016, trailing just behind another superhero film, "Captain America: Civil War." The sci-fi thriller passed the so-called Bechdel test; first developed in 1985, this qualitative measurement examines whether movies featuring at least two women who talk to each other actually speak about something other than a man.
Scarlett Johansson plays the 'Black Widow'
US actress Scarlett Johansson played the character of the Black Widow in several of the "Avengers" films. In 2015, she portrayed the S.H.I.E.L.D. spy with the arachnid name in "Avengers: The Age of Ultron," which also passed the Bechdel test. That movie grossed more than $1.4 billion, proving once and for all that intelligent female characters with depth matter more than just pretty faces.
Emma Watson tames the beast
It's not just female superheros that score at the box office. Emma Watson's 2017 portrayal of Belle in "Beauty and the Beast" grossed $1.26 billion and garnered two Oscar nominations (best costume design and best production design). This adaptation of the Disney classic was the second most successful movie in 2017.