Racial and gender representation on the big screen fell again in 2025, with the steepest decline among women in leading roles, according to a new study.
The industry has failed to “better incorporate diversity,” according to the 2026 UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report, released Thursday. The study, which analyzed 109 of the top English-language film releases of 2025, found that representation of racial and gender diversity regressed despite reaching highs in previous years.
Still, audiences of color and women contributed significantly to the box office, buying the majority of opening weekend tickets for at least four of last year's top 10 films.
Failing to embrace diversity means “studios are leaving money on the table and missing out on the opportunity to attract people to theaters,” study co-author Michael Tran said in a statement.
The number of women in leading roles fell to 37% among last year's top-grossing films, down about 10% from 2024, a year in which the industry nearly reached gender parity. The proportion of lead roles held by people of color also decreased slightly from 25% to 23%.
The sharp drop indicates that previous progress toward gender parity in film “has largely been cosmetic or tenuous,” Jade Abston, a UCLA doctoral candidate in film media studies and co-author of the study, said in a statement.
“It's like the progress that women experienced disappears,” Abston said.
The data also “almost guarantees further downward trends. Not only for diversity and gender parity in film, but also for the success of the industry,” Darnell Hunt, executive vice chancellor and provost at UCLA, said in a statement.
Films with diverse casts enjoyed the greatest financial success. Films in which between 41% and 50% of the cast were people of color had the highest average domestic and global box office and, on average, secured the top spots at the box office during opening weekend, the study found.
According to the study, audiences of color are also over-indexed as ticket buyers for films with a high diversity of casts, indicating that Black, Indigenous and people of color audiences go to theaters when they feel represented.
“The industry cannot afford to turn its back on women and people of color during this time when the theater industry is still struggling,” Ana-Christina Ramón, director of the UCLA Media and Entertainment Research Initiative, said in a statement.
This is especially important now that Hollywood is fighting to top the global box office, according to the studio. The highest-grossing film globally in 2025 was the Chinese animated film “Ne Zha 2,” only the second time a film produced outside of Hollywood has taken the top spot.
Film production in Hollywood has slowed after years of uncertainty due to actor and screenwriter strikes and COVID-19. Attracting these demographic groups “will be essential for the survival of large studios in the next decade,” Ramón said.
People of color made small gains in other film jobs, including directors, writers, and actors. However, they are still underrepresented in each field. The number of films with at least a female writer increased between 4% and 27%, the only area where women gained ground in 2025.
The percentage of actors with known disabilities in top films increased slightly among leads and among all actors. There were no lead actors with visible disabilities among last year's major theatrical releases.
The report highlighted “Sinners,” Ryan Coogler's vampire horror hit, as a film that “hit all the right notes.” “Sinners,” the highest-grossing original film in 15 years, features a diverse cast and has made a splash during awards season, winning an actor award for best ensemble. The film broke Oscar records with 16 nominations, including best picture. At least half, if not more, of the film's opening weekend tickets were purchased by audiences of color.
The horror genre is a favorite among Black and Latino viewers, and has the highest average return on investment, according to the study.
The success of films like “Sinners” is proof that hiring and supporting filmmakers of color “is justified and should be increased,” Ramón said.
“Every year, we challenge the industry to break old patterns,” Hunt said. “But as the country experiences a powerful backlash against diversity, studies have relapsed into colorblind complacency.”
The number of films with directors of color increased slightly to 22% in 2025, while the number of female directors fell between 5% and 10%.
A black filmmaker has never won the Oscar for directing. Four directors of Asian descent have received the honor, including Ang Lee, who won twice. There have been three Latino winners, including Alfonso Cuarón and Alejandro González Iñárritu, who took the top prize twice each.
