A new study in the United Kingdom has examined the top films from the past three years at the local box office and found that audiences are choosing movies with lead actors named Chris rather than those led by a woman aged over 60.
The study was conducted by the University of West London School of Film, Media and Design as part of the Age Without Limits campaign. The campaign is calling on the film industry to have better representation of older women in film.
Looking at the 100 highest-grossing films in 2023, 2024 and 2025, the survey found six featured a man named Chris in the lead, while just five starred a woman over 60.
The survey also found that films are also four times more likely to have a talking animal as the lead character than a woman over 60. Oscar-winning actor Emma Thompson said in a statement responding to this:
“Women are half the population, and we get older. So where are the stories about us? The older we get, the more interesting we are. I want to see more films center aging women, we are compelling, relatable, and overdue for center stage. Older women don’t need permission to exist on screen. They already exist in the world, cinema just needs to catch up.”
The five that made the list were “Allelujuah,” “Book Club: The Next Chapter,” “Freakier Friday,” “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” and “The Substance”.
Polling the public, 39% of women indicated not enough films were being made that feature female actors over 60 as a lead character. Meanwhile, 16% of people said they would be more likely to see a film featuring a female over 60 as opposed to 8% who would be less likely.
Source: Variety
