Universal Chairperson Donna Langley spoke about the importance of inclusion and diversity at Fortune’s Most Powerful Woman Summit on Tuesday, but the exec also recognized that Hollywood needs to do more than simply talk about these issues.
“[I’m having ] many more conversations with many more kinds of people about inclusion and diversity than I ever have in my career and I’m really encouraged by that,” she said. While these conversations are both overdue and essential, Langley acknowledged that “the needle hasn’t been moved at all in the last 20 or 30 years.”
Recently released research from the Media, Diversity, and Social Change Initiative at USC Annenberg, led by Dr. Stacy Smith, suggests that the needle hasn’t budged as much as we’d like to think. When the study was published, Women and Hollywood Founder/Publisher Melissa Silverstein wrote, “We know that while there has been a lot of talk about sexism and discrimination (including from us) that really and truly we haven’t seen the numbers shift in any significant way towards achieving gender equality.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Langley said that as a woman running a major studio, she’s put effort into ensuring that Universal greenlights movies that “she herself would want to watch,” such as the Amy Schumer comedy “Trainwreck” and the erotic romance “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Women account for 51 percent of moviegoers, so Langley’s strategy is wise: Both films struck box office gold. Penned by Schumer, “Trainwreck” grossed over $140 million worldwide on a budget of $35 million. “Fifty Shades of Grey” was made with $40 million and took in over $571 million worldwide. The adaptation of the best-selling E.L. James novel was directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and written by Kelly Marcel.
Studies show that films and television series that embrace diversity and inclusion attract audiences, so if studios are looking to maximize profits, it is in their best interests to push that needle forward.