News
Melissa McCarthy to Star in R-Rated Puppet Comedy “The Happytime Murders”
Melissa McCarthy is about to kick some puppet ass. Deadline reports that the Oscar-nominated actress has signed on to star in and produce STXfilms’ “The Happytime Murders,” an R-rated puppet...
Women to Direct Six of 10 Episodes of Naomi Watts-Led Netflix Series “Gypsy”
Like Ava DuVernay’s “Queen Sugar” and Moira Buffini and Alison Newman’s “Harlots,” Netflix’s upcoming “Gypsy” has dedicated itself to supporting women behind the scenes. According...
Trailer Watch: “Wonder Woman” Doesn’t Need to Be Saved
In a new TV spot for Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman,” Diana Prince (Gal Godot), aka the titular Amazonian superheroine, finds herself in a classic film scene. She’s walking in a creepy alley...
“The Handmaid’s Tale” Renewed for a Second Season
“The Handmaid’s Tale” premiered just one week ago, and already we can rest assured knowing that the fun/horror will continue after the first season concludes. Variety reports that Hulu has...
“Mr. Chibbs” Director Jill Campbell on the Enduring Appeal of NBA Star Kenny Anderson
Jill Campbell has worked as a producer, director, and writer on myriad documentaries, including “Dancing Across Borders,” “Bernal’s Picasso: When Art Met Science,” and “Out of Print.”...
All-Female Comedy Series “Baroness von Sketch Show” Is Coming to IFC
Finally, something to fill the “Garfunkel and Oates”-shaped void in our lives. Per The Hollywood Reporter, IFC is adding the all-female “Baroness von Sketch Show” to its lineup. The first...
Dionne Warwick Doc in the Works
“I Say a Little Prayer,” “Walk on By,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” — these are the kinds of songs that inspire strangers to sing together, with or without alcohol. And these...
Kelly Carmichael to Head Production & Development for Jessica Chastain’s Freckle Films
Consider us pleasantly unsurprised. Jessica Chastain’s production company, Freckle Films, has hired a female president of production and development: former Weinstein Company and Miramax...
“Power” Showrunner Courtney Kemp Inks Multi-Year Deal with Starz and Lionsgate
More projects from Courtney Kemp could be coming our way. The “Power” creator and showrunner signed an exclusive multi-year overall deal with Starz and Lionsgate, Variety reports. This new pact...
Trailer Watch: A Ballerina Nears the End of Her Career in “Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan”
“I’ve always been extremely devoted to what I do,” says Wendy Whelan in a newly released trailer for an upcoming documentary centered on the acclaimed ballerina. Whelan joined the New York...
Sally Potter’s “The Party” Gets UK Distribution
Sally Potter’s latest film has secured distribution in the UK. ScreenDaily reports that “The Party” has been acquired by Picturehouse Entertainment, with a planned fall release. The...
Tony Awards Stats Special: We Counted, So You Don’t Have To
Written by The Interval. The Tony Award nominations were announced this morning and, for the third year in a row, we did some counting to see how women fared at getting nominated for theater’s...
Hot Docs 2017 Women Directors: Meet Sofia Bohdanowicz — “Maison du bonheur”
Sofia Bohdanowicz is an experimental filmmaker from Toronto, Canada. Her most recent collection of shorts, “Last Poems,” explores the passing of her paternal grandmother through the poetry of...
Petra Volpe’s “The Divine Order” Wins Tribeca Audience Award
A woman-helmed film has won another major Tribeca honor. Just days ago we reported that women directors dominated the fest’s top awards, and now a press release has announced that Petra Volpe’s...
“Commanding the Table” Director Leslie Iwerks on Culinary and Hospitality Pioneer Ella Brennan
Leslie Iwerks is an Academy Award and Emmy-nominated director and producer. For over a decade, she has produced, directed, and edited award-winning feature and short documentaries, television...
Cherien Dabis to Helm Film About Flint Researcher Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha
You’re most likely familiar with the Flint, Michigan water crisis, but you may not know about Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician whose research concluded that a generation of Flint children...
Barbra Streisand Started Directing Because She “Couldn’t Be Heard”
Barbra Streisand didn’t mince words when Robert Rodriguez interviewed her at the Tribeca Film Festival this past weekend —of course, we wouldn’t have it any other way. The famously outspoken...
Guest Post: Producing Partners Discuss How Men Can Support Female Filmmakers
Guest Post by Ela Thier My new film, “Tomorrow Ever After,” got made because in addition to relying on women, I rely on the men I work with to act as my allies. I do it by offering information...
Hot Docs 2017 Women Directors: Meet Marie Clements— “The Road Forward”
Marie Clements (Métis/Dene) is an award-winning writer, director, and producer of film, television, radio, new media, and live performance. Her work as a filmmaker includes the 2015 docudrama...
“Roseanne” Revival in the Works
More “Roseanne” could be on the way. A revival of the beloved ABC sitcom toplined by Roseanne Barr is currently being shopped to networks, The Hollywood Reporter writes. Creator/star Barr has...
“Toni Erdmann” Wins Big at German Film Awards
Nearly a year after its world premiere at Cannes, “Toni Erdmann” continues to make its mark around the globe. The Hollywood Reporter writes that Maren Ade’s dark comedy dominated the German...
Hot Docs 2017 Women Directors: Meet Tasha Hubbard — “Birth of a Family”
Tasha Hubbard is an award-winning filmmaker and an assistant professor at the University of Saskatchewan. Her previous documentary, “Two Worlds Collide,” won a Gemini and a Golden Sheaf Award in...
“Ingobernable” Renewed for Second Season
We haven’t seen the last of Emilia Urquiza. Netflix has renewed “Ingobernable” for a second season, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. The Spanish-language political drama centers on the...
Hot Docs 2017 Women Directors: Meet Vaishali Sinha — “Ask the Sexpert”
Vaishali Sinha co-directed and produced the feature documentary “Made in India,” which focused on the personal stories behind the phenomenon of outsourcing surrogate mothers to India. The...
Cate Blanchett to Star in Stage Production of “All About Eve”
Cate Blanchett is stepping into Bette Davis’ shoes. The two-time Oscar winner will portray Margo Channing in a stage production of “All About Eve,” the New York Times reports. Adapted from...
Trailer Watch: Mandy Moore and Claire Holt Become Shark Food in “47 Meters Down”
“It’s like you’re going to the zoo — except you are in the cage.” A new trailer has been released for “47 Meters Down,” a thriller that sees Mandy Moore (“This Is Us”) and...
New “Little Women” Film in the Works from Clare Niederpruem
Jo March would be so pleased. A new adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s coming-of-age classic “Little Women” is in the works and a woman director is at the helm. According to Deadline,...
Hot Docs 2017 Women Directors: Meet Karin Jurschick — “Playing God”
Karin Jurschick is the co-founder of the International Women’s Film Festival in Cologne, Germany. Her award-winning films include “On the Rail of Evil,” “Chernobyl and its Consequences,”...
Teaser Watch: Diana, Princess of Themyscira Becomes Diana Prince in “Wonder Woman”
June 2 can’t come soon enough. We’re counting down the days until Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman” hits theaters. In the meantime, a new TV promo for the Gal Gadot-led film has aired, and the...
Hot Docs 2017 Women Directors: Meet Kalina Bertin — “Manic”
“Manic” is Kalina Bertin’s first feature. It will premiere at the 2017 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival on April 30. W&H: Describe the film for us in your...
Lena Khan’s “The Tiger Hunter” Picked Up by Shout! Factory
Lena Khan’s feature directorial debut has secured distribution. Deadline reports that Shout! Factory has acquired all of the North American rights to “The Tiger Hunter,” a timely comedy about...
Alicia Vikander-Starrer “Tulip Fever” Gets a New Release Date and Trailer
We’re finally going to get to see “Tulip Fever.” The Alicia Vikander-led romantic drama was originally scheduled to hit theaters last July, but the film’s distributor, The Weinstein Company,...
Bethany Ashton Wolf’s “Forever My Girl” Acquired by Roadside
“Forever My Girl” has found a home. Variety writes that Roadside Attractions has acquired domestic distribution rights to Bethany Ashton Wolf’s romance about high school sweethearts, missed...
Only Five of Disney’s Slated Films Through 2021 Are Directed by Women
Disney has unveiled the premiere dates for its upcoming films from next Friday’s “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2” through the end of 2021. Per Variety, none of the remaining 2017 films are...
Robin Thede to Host Weekly Late-Night Show on BET
Robin Thede is returning to late-night TV. The former “Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore” head writer and contributor will host and exec produce “The Rundown With Robin Thede” for BET. The...
Hot Docs 2017 Women Directors: Meet Ann Shin — “My Enemy, My Brother”
Ann Shin’s cross-platform project “The Defector” won Best Documentary and Best Documentary Director at the 2014 Canadian Screen Awards. The short version of “My Enemy, My Brother” was...
Anika Noni Rose Options Rights to Best-Selling YA Series “Shadowshaper”
Anika Noni Rose is working on taking “Shadowshaper” from the page to the screen. The Tony winner — and her production company, Roaring Virgin Productions — have purchased the film...
Mindy Kaling Options Alyssa Mastromonaco’s Political Memoir for TV
Mindy Kaling in “The Mindy Project”: NBCUniversal Mindy Kaling is branching out into politics — political TV comedies, in particular. Deadline reports that the “Mindy Project” creator...
“Lipstick Under My Burkha” Set for Release in India After Censorship Threat
“Lipstick Under My Burkha” will screen in India after all. Per The Hollywood Reporter, India’s Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) overruled the Censor Board’s initial decision to...
Hot Docs 2017 Women Directors: Meet Ashley Sabin — “Do Donkeys Act?”
Ashley Sabin’s documentaries have screened internationally in festivals and on television worldwide. Her vast body of work includes four recent “animal ethnography” films based in the world...
Help Us Build Resources
We are working to build some new resources on Women and Hollywood. We’re creating a list of all the databases that are out there for hiring women (The Director List, illuminatrix, etc.) We are...
Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi’s Chavela Vargas Doc Acquired by Music Box Films
Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi’s award-winning Chavela Vargas documentary has found a home. Music Box Films has acquired the U.S. rights to “Chavela” and is planning a theatrical release for...
Research: Women Writers Comprise 29% of Self-Reported Scripts on Black List Website
Elyse Hollander’s Madonna biopic “Blond Ambition” topped the 2016 Black List The lack of opportunities for women in Hollywood is disappointing, but isn’t really a surprise anymore. What may...
Family Comedy from Erica Oyama in Development at Fox
Sarah Gertrude Shapiro and Marti Noxon’s “UnREAL” has earned rave reviews for depicting the disturbing drama and ugliness behind the scenes of a “Bachelor”-esque reality show. But before...
Jacqueline Bisset to Star in “Journey to Miyakojima”
Jacqueline Bisset has signed on to topline “Journey to Miyakojima,” Variety reports. Scheduled to begin shooting this October in Japan, the family drama centers on “a quietly ailing” family...
Only NYC Female Theater Critic Linda Winer Resigns
The environment for women theater critics just got even less welcoming. Newsday’s Linda Winer, the only female theater critic in the New York City area, will be leaving her post May 12. Per...
Anjelica Huston to Be Honored at Seattle Film Fest
Anjelica Huston is set to add another trophy to her mantle. The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) has announced that the Oscar winner has been chosen as the 2017 recipient of their Career...
Beyoncé Announces Formation Scholarship Program for College Women
Beyoncé is inviting four women to join the formation. In honor of “Lemonade’s” first anniversary, the Grammy award-winning artist and media mogul has unveiled plans for Formation Scholars, a...
Elyse Hollander’s Madonna Biopic Picked Up by Universal
Get ready to vogue at your local movie theater: a Madonna biopic is coming to the big screen. Universal has picked up “Blond Ambition,” Elyse Hollander’s 2016 Black List-topping script about...
Ingrid Michaelson to Star in Hulu Series from Liz Tigelaar
Singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson is heading to the small screen. The Hollywood Reporter writes that she’ll star in Hulu’s “The Way I Am,” a semi-autobiographical series she co-created...
Cannes 2017: Join Women and Hollywood and Other Organizers Supporting Female Filmmakers
This year at the Cannes Film Festival, Women and Hollywood will once again be hosting a networking meeting with influencers who advocate for female filmmakers. Join us May 22 at the Scandinavian...