BY Casey Cipriani
#NominateNYC Launches to Help Academy Reach its Diversity Goals
The Academy took great steps to diversify its membership this week, and now the NYC Office of Media and Entertainment is launching a campaign to help even more. The New York City Mayor’s Office...
Harvard Announces Walt Disney Company Anne M. Sweeney Scholarship
Harvard has announced the creation of the The Walt Disney Company Anne M. Sweeney Scholarship that will support students pursuing their master’s degrees at Harvard Graduate School of...
Trailer Watch: Barbara Kopple Captures “Miss Sharon Jones!”
Two-time Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple followed Grammy-nominated R&B powerhouse Sharon Jones around during what is described as “the most courageous year of her...
Trailer Watch: Anna Gunn Juggles Money, Men, and Mayhem in “Equity”
Anna Gunn (“Breaking Bad”) is demanding equality in a male-dominated field. “Equity,” directed by Meera Menon (“Farrah Goes Bang”), dives into the investment banking’s...
Applications Now Being Accepted for New York Times and POV Media Maker Project
Attention female filmmakers, documentarians, and content creators! American Documentary Inc., the producer of the PBS series “POV,” has teamed up with The New York Times for a new documentary...
Scarlett Johansson’s Huge Box Office Record Puts Her in the Top-Grossing of All Time
Think women don’t bring in money at the box office? Think again. As TheWrap reports, Scarlett Johansson has vaulted onto the list of the 10 top-grossing actors of all time. The list was created by...
London’s National Film and Television School Launching Initiatives for Female Directors
Some great news for female directors in the UK: London’s National Film and Television School (NFTS) is launching three initiatives to increase the number of women film directors working in...
“Game of Thrones” Announces Season 7 Directors with Zero Women
The women of “Game of Thrones” may be taking over, but that’s not the case behind the camera. The directors for Season 7 of HBO’s hit series have been announced, and once again the show will...
Trailer Watch: Ellen Page Makes Desperate Choices as “Tallulah”
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and that’s what faces Ellen Page in the new trailer for Netflix’s original feature “Tallulah.” The film, according to its official synopsis,...
Superagent Sue Mengers Biopic in the Works
The biography “Can I Go Now: The Life of Sue Mengers, Hollywood’s First Superagent” is getting a feature film adaptation, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The book follows the story of how...
Trailer Watch: Women Get Their Own Narratives in “Abortion: Stories Women Tell”
Much like the intense gun-safety debate going on around the country today, abortion remains a hot topic despite the fact that it was legalized decades ago. Women still have difficulty accessing...
Sarah Gadon Will Star in Netflix’s “Alias Grace”
Netflix’s “Alias Grace” has found its star. The streaming site has announced that Sarah Gadon (“Belle,” “A Dangerous Method”) will take on the lead role of Grace Marks in the upcoming...
Raffaella de Laurentiis Options Lucinda Riley’s “The Seven Sisters” for Television
Producer Raffaella de Laurentiis has optioned Lucinda Riley’s bestselling book series “The Seven Sisters” for television, an official release has announced. The novel is “the first of a...
Cynthia Wade and Cheryl Miller Houser’s “Generation Startup” Gets Distribution
Long Shot Factory, Tugg, and Film Sprout have announced that they will partner to release Cynthia Wade (“Freeheld”) and Cheryl Miller Houser’s (“Trust Me”) documentary “Generation...
Trailer Watch: Renee Zellweger Returns in “Bridget Jones’s Baby”
We’re not gonna lie: we’ve missed Renée Zellweger, and we’ve missed her most beloved character, Bridget Jones. So we’re delighted to see a new trailer for “Bridget Jones’s Baby,” and...
Watch: The Cast of “Orange is the New Black” on Inspiration and Inebriation in Times Talk
At this point, the cast members of “Orange is the New Black” have become known names in the industry, and their careers have taken on entirely unexpected routes since the Netflix series debuted...
Activist Actress Sues Sony for Retaliation
Soap opera actress Victoria Rowell will move forward with her lawsuit against Sony Pictures Television, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A California judge gave her the green light to move to...
Trailer Watch: Kate Mara Attempts to Control Anya Taylor-Joy’s “Morgan”
Anya Taylor-Joy burst onto the scene earlier this year in the creepy yet subtle horror movie “The Witch” and seemed destined for stardom. Moving on from that cursed Pilgrim, she’s now...
Erin Moriarty and Danika Yarosh Join Helen Hunt for Sports Movie “Live Like Line”
Erin Moriarty and Danika Yarosh have been cast in the upcoming volleyball film “Live Like Line,” Deadline reports, with Helen Hunt playing their coach. Moriarty played Woody Harrelson’s teen...
Ashleigh Murray and Rachel Crow Set for Netflix’s “Deidra & Laney Rob a Train”
Relative newcomers Ashleigh Murray (“Younger”) and Rachel Crow (“Fred: The Show”) will star in the Netflix caper comedy flick “Deidra & Laney Rob a Train,” Shadow and...
Elite Zexler’s Sundance-Winning Debut “Sand Storm” Acquired by Kino Lorber
Kino Lorber has acquired North American distribution rights to Elite Zexer’s “Sand Storm,” Deadline has reported. The Israeli drama won the World Cinema Grand Jury Dramatic Prize at the...
Trailer Watch: Issa Rae is “Insecure”
Issa Rae, the creator of the hit web series “Awkward Black Girl,” is about to land on HBO with her new series “Insecure.” The eight-episode, half-hour comedy stars Rae, Yvonne Orji, Jay...
Amy Poehler Scores New Deal at NBC
“Amy Poehler is staying put at NBC,” says The Hollywood Reporter. The actress, writer, and producer and her company, Paper Kite Productions, have signed a deal with Universal TV. The multi-year...
Teaser Watch: Ava DuVernay’s First TV Series “Queen Sugar”
A new teaser trailer for “Queen Sugar,” the highly-anticipated new series from Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network, has just hit the web, and it’s making us here at Women and...
The Women of “Ghostbusters” Speak Out
It seems like people have been talking for so long about the all-female “Ghostbusters” reboot that it’ll never arrive. But come next month, July 15 to be exact, the new cast of Melissa...
Proof the Dudeocracy of Film Writers Exists Thanks to Latest Study of Top Critics
When we here at Women and Hollywood published The Dudeocracy of Film Writers, we were basing our theory on observations of the film writing industry, and what we saw going on around us. But now,...
Elizabeth Banks Was “Too Old” To Play Tobey Maguire’s Girlfriend at 28
Add Elizabeth Banks to the list of actresses who have been arbitrarily found to be too old to be the love interest of a male co-star practically the same age. Banks told Glamour Magazine, she was...
Kathryn Bigelow’s Next Film To Tackle 1967 Detroit Riots
Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow’s next film will begin production this summer. The drama will focus on the 1967 Detroit riots. As the BBC reports, “The Detroit riots began after...
Trailer Watch: “The Girl With All The Gifts” Could Save the World and the Zombie Genre
When you think of the zombie movie genre, the films that pop into your head don’t necessarily include great female characters. That may be starting to change, with films like “Pride &...
Another Male Director With Little Experience Given a Big-Budget Project
In today’s dose of “Are you fucking kidding me?” another male director with very little directing experience has been given the job of directing what’s most likely a big-budget film. As...
Netflix Making Margaret Atwood’s “Alias Grace” Into Miniseries with Sarah Polley
After the success of “Making a Murderer,” Netflix is keen on continuing the addicting trend that is true-crime entertainment. Now, the streaming site has just green-lit a six-hour miniseries...
Trailer Watch: Andrea Arnold’s “American Honey” Hits the Heartland
Andrea Arnold’s much-anticipated “American Honey” will soon hit theaters, and a gorgeous new trailer has just been released. If we weren’t already really excited about this film, the...
Amma Asante’s “A United Kingdom” to Open 60th BFI London Film Festival
The 60th BFI London Film Festival, which runs from October 5–16 this year, will open with “A United Kingdom,” directed by Amma Asante (“Belle”). The film will make its European premiere on...
Ryan Murphy Creates Foundation For Diversifying Directors
Ryan Murphy, creator of “Glee” and “American Horror Story,” is launching a foundation within his 20th Century Fox-based production company aiming to diversify Hollywood, according to The...
Judi Dench to Play Queen Victoria Once Again
Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench will play Queen Victoria in Working Title Films’ “Victoria and Abdul.” According to a press release, the film is slated to go into production this year...
Eight Female Producers on What it Takes to Make it in Hollywood
This year’s Women in Film Crystal Award for Excellence in Film went to eight female producers: Denise Di Novi, Lianne Halfon, Lynda Obst, Jane Rosenthal, Paula Wagner, Lucy Fisher, Lauren Shuler...
“Me Before You” Director Thea Sharrock Attached to Next Project “The Selection”
After the great success of “Me Before You,” director Thea Sharrock has been hired for another book-to-film adaptation, Variety reports. Sharrock is attached to direct YA novel “The...
Nicole Kidman to Star in Big Screen Version of Anna Ziegler’s “Photograph 51”
Playwright Anna Zielger will adapt her play “Photograph 51” for the big screen, The Tracking Board reports, and Nicole Kidman, who starred in the 2015 West End production, is attached to star....
ACLU Supports NY Film and TV Diversity Bill
The ACLU is putting pressure on New York legislators to pass a bill that would make the state the first to grant financial incentives to TV shows that hire women and minority writers and directors,...
Trailer Watch: Sick of the 2016 Election? How About “Roseanne for President!”
“Here I go, running for president,” Roseanne Barr declares in the new trailer for the doc, “Roseanne for President!” The film, which follows Barr’s unsuccessful 2012 campaign for...
Weekly Update for June 17: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
Films About Women Opening This Week Finding Dory “Finding Dory” reunites the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres) with her loved ones, and everyone learns a few...
Liz Garcia Sets Her Second Feature Film
Liz Garcia is set to direct her second feature film. According to The Tracking Board, Garcia will write and direct “One Percent More Humid.” Garcia will produce through her La Pistola, Inc....
“Making a Murderer” Creators Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos Adapting New TV Series with George…
“Making a Murderer” Creators Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos Adapting New TV Series with George Clooney The female filmmakers behind Netflix’s hit true crime series “Making Murderer” will...
Stacey Snider to Replace Jim Gianopulos As Head of Fox
There’s a lot of movement going on at Fox, where Chief Executive Jim Gianopulos will step down from his post next year, replaced by Stacey Snider, who was brought on less than two years ago as...
Helen Mirren Adds “Fast and Furious 8” to Her Eclectic Career
Dame Helen Mirren is about to drive a suped-up race car. The prestigious actress has confirmed that she’s signed on to appear in “Fast and Furious 8.” In an interview with Elle Magazine,...
“Wicked” Musical Coming to the Big Screen
After almost 13 years on Broadway, “Wicked” is finally set to fly on the big screen. Universal has announced that the musical film adaptation of the hit show and book will open in theaters...
Zoe Saldana Was Denied Child Care and Wishes More Women Were on Sets
It’s becoming more and more common for actresses to reveal the issues of sexism they’ve faced on set, from studios, and in their careers. Only when the problems are talked about will we have any...
Whitney Houston Documentary Coming From Miramax and Roadside
Miramax has acquired U.S. distribution rights to “Whitney,” the officially authorized Whitney Houston documentary that’s in the works, Deadline has reported. Miramax will team up with Roadside...
Anika Noni Rose to Produce and Star in Shirley Chisholm Biopic
Anika Noni Rose is attached to produce and star in a film based on Shirley Chisholm, Shadow and Act has reported. Chisholm was the first African-American woman elected to the United States Congress,...
Sally Potter’s “The Party” to Star Patricia Clarkson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Cherry Jones
Patricia Clarkson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Cherry Jones, and Emily Mortimer are set to star in Sally Potter’s “The Party,” Variety has reported. That means that three-quarters of the female...
CBC Takes Steps to Hire 50% Female Directors for Scripted Dramas
Canadian public broadcaster CBC announced that at least half of the episodes of some of its most popular scripted programs will be directed by women. The move reflects the ongoing discussion about...