: Female lead roles in top films dropped to 39% by 2025, a seven-year low.

Despite numerical declines, the quality of roles for mature women is evolving toward greater complexity.

In 2024, the industry reached a historic benchmark of gender parity in leading roles, with 54% of the top 100 films featuring female leads. However, recent 2025 and 2026 reports show a reversal:

: Women aged 60+ account for only 2% of major female characters, compared to 8% for men in the same age bracket. Emerging Narrative Shifts