In 2025, women-led films dropped to a seven-year low, with only 39 of the top 100 films featuring female leads.

The recent awards seasons have served as a powerful testament to this shift. Icons like Demi Moore (62) and Nicole Kidman (58) are doing some of the most daring work of their careers, with Moore recently winning a Golden Globe for her performance in the body-horror hit The Substance . Meanwhile, Julianne Moore is set to receive the prestigious at the Cannes Film Festival, honoring a career that has consistently pushed boundaries. By the Numbers: A Tale of Two Realities

Research shows a steep decline in opportunities after age 40; while 41% of female characters on screen are in their 30s, that number plummets to just 16% for those in their 40s .