Studio comedies have long exemplified some of Hollywood’s worst bro-ish excesses. The last decade has seen the fall of the romantic comedy and the rise of the bromance, which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing if it didn’t also mean the further marginalization of female comedic talent at the movies. But the last few years have seen an ever dwindling supply of funny ladies on the big screen — so much so that we can name The Annual Summer Comedy for Women for 2011, 2012, and 2013.
But perhaps things are finally starting to get better. Judd Apatow, the quintessential boy’s man, has recently taken on female proteges and collaborators in Lena Dunham, Amy Schumer, and Kimberley Peirce. And now comes news that a couple of other former members of the Boys Only Comedy Treehouse, Adam McKay and Will Ferrell, are opening the door to women.
McKay, Ferrell, and producer Jessica Elbaum announced yesterday that Gary Sanchez Productions, McKay and Ferrell’s studio, has launched a sister label called Gloria Sanchez that will invest in female-driven films and TV shows. The reported prototype for a Gloria Sanchez production is Elbaum’s former producing project, the Leslye Headland-directed Bachelorette, which starred Kirsten Dunst, Lizzy Caplan, and Isla Fisher as a trio of screw-up bridesmaids.
In a statement, McKay and Ferrell said, “When Jessica came to us with this idea, we thought it was fantastic…. She has worked with some of the great female voices in comedy and has proven herself as a gifted producer who has a keen eye for material.”