Women Writers
Study: Books About Women Are Shut Out of Major Awards
Of the eight films nominated for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars, none were about women. Lest you think that was some freak coincidence, novelist Nicola Griffith has come out with an informal...
First Trailer for Suffragette: “We Will Win”
The first trailer for ‘Suffragette’ has rolled out along with the announcement that it will open the London Film Festival on Wednesday October 7th. This incredibly powerful trailer shows the...
‘Belle’ Director Amma Asante to Make Africa-Set Drama About Royal Interracial Marriage
Amma Asante (“Belle”) is set to direct “Selma” star David Oyelowo and “Gone Girl” Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike in an upcoming period drama about a black-white marriage that creates a...
Amy Schumer Making Mother-Daughter Comedy with Paul Feig
In what feels like a match made in heaven, Amy Schumer is set to team up with proven female-comedy-lover Paul Feig (“Spy,” “The Heat,” “Bridesmaids”). The rising star will act in a...
Reese Witherspoon to Play Tinker Bell in Live-Action Disney Movie
Reese Witherspoon is claiming one of Disney’s most iconic characters as her next big-screen role. The Oscar-winning actress will play Tinker Bell in “Tink,” a live-action, revisionist take on...
“Happy Valley” Creator Sally Wainwright to Write and Direct BBC Film About Brontë Sisters
Veteran British TV writer Sally Wainwright will make her feature directorial debut with a two-hour BBC1 drama about the Brontë sisters. “To Walk Invisible: The Bronte Sisters” will center on a...
All-Female Shortlist Announced for Desmond Elliott Prize for New Fiction
The shortlist for the Desmond Elliott Prize for New Fiction has been announced, and all three nominated novelists are women. The £10,000 ($15,700 USD) literary prize is awarded to the best debut...
Spellbinding Teen Classic ‘The Craft’ to Be Remade, Leigh Janiak to Direct and Co-Write
Now would be a wise time to invest stock in Hot Topic. The news that Sony is remaking “The Craft,” the 1996 supernatural thriller about badass teen witches with angst and attitude to spare...
Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer of ‘Broad City’ to Write and Produce Movie with Paul Feig
We couldn’t possibly imagine better news to start your weekend than this: The stars and creators of Comedy Central’s “Broad City,” Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, are reportedly developing...
Angelina Jolie’s ‘By the Sea’ to be Released During Awards Season 2015
The marriage drama “By the Sea” will mark Angelina Jolie’s third time behind the camera and her first time directing herself. The film will star Jolie and her real-life husband Brad Pitt as...
Trailer Watch: Meryl Streep Reconnects with the Family She Abandoned in ‘Ricki and the Flash’
“Ricki and the Flash” tells a familiar tale, a staple of rock bios: A rising star is forced to choose between fame and fans, on the one hand, and domestic responsibilities on the other. Years...
Rediscovering Leigh Brackett, Sci-Fi Pioneer and “The Empire Strikes Back” Writer
Here’s more proof that sci-fi isn’t just for boys — and never has been. An essay from io9 published on Star Wars Day (May the Fourth) uncovers some fascinating history about Leigh Brackett...
Juliette Binoche to Play Nobel Prize Winner Pearl S. Buck in Roxanne Messina Captor’s Biopic
A new biopic of writer and activist Pearl S. Buck will find Juliette Binoche playing the Nobel laureate. Roxanne Messina Captor will direct Binoche in “Pearl,” which will be filmed in Prague,...
Is 2015 the Year of the Older Actress?
We at Women and Hollywood have noticed a trend: 2015 seems to be the year of the older actress. We can’t recall a year in the past decade or so with more female-centric projects led by actresses...
2014 VIDA Count: Harper’s and The New Republic Make Gains in Women’s Bylines, Others Slide Backward
The 2014 VIDA Count is out, and the larger picture is mixed as usual. Women writers continue to lag behind their male counterparts as both literary reviewers and reviewees, and nearly all the...
Andrea Arnold’s First US Film, ‘American Honey,’ to Star Shia LeBeouf
British filmmaker Andrea Arnold (“Wuthering Heights,” “Fish Tank,” “Red Road”) has cast Shia LeBeouf in her first US film, “American Honey.” The project has been percolating for some...
Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep’s ‘Suffragette’ Gets Awards-Friendly Oct. 23 Release Date
“Suffragette” has received an awards-friendly US release date of October 23. Starring Carey Mulligan with Helena Bonham Carter, Meryl Streep, and Anne-Marie Duff in supporting roles, the drama...
‘Suffragette,’ Starring Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep, to be Released by Focus Features
Director Sarah Gavron’s “Suffragette” will be distributed in North America by Focus Features this fall. The British film focuses on the early-twentieth-century battle to win the vote for UK...
Quote of the Day: Shonda Rhimes: “I Make TV Look Like the World Looks”
“I really hate the word ‘diversity,’” announced Shonda Rhimes at the Human Rights Campaign Gala this past Saturday. The “Scandal” creator and “How to Get Away With Murder” producer...
Crosspost: Why Amy Pascal’s Advice to Women to “Know Their Worth” and “Walk Away” is an Insult
The following is crossposted from Julie Bush’s blog with permission of the author. It has been edited and condensed. In Hollywood, it’s rare to be told directly that you can’t get a job...
Diablo Cody to Adapt Barbie for the Big Screen
Barbie has a new makeover coming her way. Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody (“Juno,” “Jennifer’s Body,” “Young Adult,” “Paradise”) will rewrite the script for the iconic...
Melanie Laurent’s ‘Breathe’ Sold to Film Movement
Variety reports that the U.S. rights to Melanie Laurent’s sophomore feature, “Breathe,” have been sold to Film Movement, an arthouse distributor based in NY. The feature, based on a book with...
WGA Study: Declines for Female and Minority TV Writers “Across the Board”
Over the last three years, the employment of women and minority TV writers has suffered a sharp fall. According to a WGA-West study comparing the 2011–12 and 2013–14 TV seasons, writers rooms...
HBO Launches Writing Fellowship To Find Diverse and Emerging Writers
If you’re an aspiring TV writer and a fan of HBO programming, today is your lucky day. HBO has announced the launch of the HBOAccess Writing Fellowship, which will offer emerging and diverse...
Writer to Watch: Kristin Gore Penning Scarlett Johansson Thriller, HBO Comedy ‘Women in Space’
Former “SNL” and “Futurama” writer Kristin Gore is on a career upswing. The daughter of former Vice President Al Gore is currently working on a screenplay for Universal’s adaptation of...
Amma Asante on Channeling the Warrior Queen to Make ‘Belle’
In the midst of the 2015 Berlinale, Amma Asante gave the closing speech at an International Women’s Film Festival Network (IWFFN) event on February 12. The director was candid about the...
Inaugural WriteHer List Celebrates Women-Penned TV Scripts With Strong Female Characters
Women screenwriters only wrote 11% of the top 250 films last year and are outnumbered nearly 3 to 1 as writers and creators on television. To spotlight deserving scripts by women featuring strong...
SF Film Society Introduces New Fellowship for Female Filmmakers
If you’re a regular reader of Women and Hollywood’s interviews, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed that a significant number of female filmmakers have shared that securing funding for...
Greta Gerwig’s ‘Mistress America’ Sold at Sundance
Ten days before the launch of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, Park City’s first major deal has been struck. Fox Searchlight has bought Mistress America, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s...
Women Wrote 17% of 2014’s Top 250 Grossing Films
On Wednesday, we revealed that women directed only 17 of last year’s top 250 grossing films — a depressing 6.8%. Fortunately, the number of female screenwriters who penned the scripts to...
ABC Family Orders Single-Cam Comedies from Lauren Iungerich, Barbie Adler
ABC Family is expanding its appeal to women in their twenties by adding two single-cam comedies from female creators to its development slate. The cable network has ordered pilots from Awkward...
Spotlight on Women of Color in 2014
Women and Hollywood’s end-of-year coverage includes our “Best Women-Directed Documentaries of 2014 (That We Managed to See),” “Best Women-Directed Films of 2014,” “Best Films About Women...
The Most Important Feminist Film Moments of 2014
Women and Hollywood’s end-of-year coverage includes our “Best Women-Directed Documentaries of 2014 (That We Managed to See),” “Best Women-Directed Films of 2014,” “Best Films About Women...
The Best Films About Women in 2014
Women and Hollywood’s end-of-year coverage includes our “Best Women-Directed Documentaries of 2014 (That We Managed to See),” “Best Women-Directed Films of 2014,” and “Best TV Shows and...
The Best Women-Directed Films of 2014
Women and Hollywood’s end-of-year coverage includes our “Best Women-Directed Documentaries of 2014 (That We Managed to See)” list, with much more to come in the next few days. The abysmal...
13% of 2014 Black List Scripts Written by Women
Kristina Lauren Anderson’s Catherine the Great topped the 2014 Black List. Anderson’s scripted biopic of the Russian royal was the most popular among the 250 film executives who were polled by...
The A to Z of Women in Film in 2014: Part 1
In some ways, it’s been a year like any other. Some extraordinary female talent has broken through. Some miraculous, female-led stories have been told. And yet the industry as a whole has done its...
4 Tips for Female Filmmakers from Ms. In the Biz
Here’s the hard truth. Thenumbers for women in the entertainment industry aren’t great. This is somethingthat we are all well aware of. When both of us started out in the business, wecame onto...
Kerry Washington in Talks to Star in ‘Unforgettable,’ Amma Asante’s Follow-Up to ‘Belle’
Kerry Washington’s movie career is taking off. In addition to starring in director Elizabeth Allen’s upcoming rom com Is He the One, the Emmy-nominated Scandal actress is close to signing on to...
Adopt Films to Release Dakota Fanning and Emma Thompson’s ‘Effie Gray’
Crosspost: These Are the Most Employed Women in the UK Film Industry
The following post originally appeared on Stephen Follows’ website and is published here with permission of the author. Last week, I looked at the most employed people in the UK film industry....
‘Belle’ Director Amma Asante: “No Industry Can Remain Sustainable Without New and Diverse Life Blood”
Despite a BAFTA win for her directorial debut (A Way of Life), it took nearly a decade for Amma Asante to make her sophomore picture (Belle). Asante was clearly speaking from first-hand experience...
Women and Hollywood is Looking for Interns for 2015
Women and Hollywood is looking for two interns for 2015. The positions will begin in January and we are looking for interns to commit for at least six months. We are looking for people who are...
Amy Adams to Play Janis Joplin in ‘Get It While You Can’ Biopic
After scamming her way through the 1970s in last year’s American Hustle and painting through the 1950s in the upcoming Big Eyes, Amy Adams will visit the decade between as Janis Joplin in a biopic...
The Big O: Oscar Needs to Honor More Women With the “Write” Stuff
As the Academy Awards prepares for its 87th edition, a nagging fact continues to rear its gender-biased head: the astonishing fact that only four women have ever been nominated for Best Director and...
Nia Vardalos’ ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2’ Finds Studio Distribution
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is one of the biggest success stories to ever emerge from the independent film world, having grossed $368 million worldwide on a $5 million production budget (and a...
April Prosser’s Female-Friendship Comedy ‘Plus One’ to Be Released by Weinstein Co.
One of the first projects coming out of Gloria Sanchez Productions — Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, and Adam McKay’s new shingle for female-centric comedies — will be screenwriter April...
Canadian Recommendations For Achieving Gender Equity
Dear American readers: Your neighbors to the north are producing lots of original television and film content besides Degrassi and Atom Egoyan movies. Also, we — — much like you — are...
Playwright Katori Hall to Direct Film Version of ‘Hurt Village’
Katori Hall, the Olivier Award-winning playwright of The Mountaintop, will direct a screen adaptation of another one of her works. Hall will helm Hurt Village, her 2011 play about the dissolution...
Here’s the Next Generation of Female Screenwriters
Every year, Tracking Board publishes the “Young and Hungry” list — 100 screenwriters on the verge of making it big, voted on by “Hollywood’s most influential powers.” This year, 29...
Dear WB, Consider Hiring These Women Writers and Directors for Your Wonder Woman Movie
Yesterday, Warner Brothers did what studios do these days: announce superhero movies and spin-offs. This announcement was a little different than the usual proceedings, though, because among the 15...