#Women Writers
Chinonye Chukwu Will Direct the First Two Episodes of Lupita Nyong’o-Led “Americanah” Adaptation
The dream team behind HBO Max’s adaptation of “Americanah” just added another member to their folds. Deadline reports that “Clemency” writer-director Chinonye Chukwu has...
Elizabeth Banks Is Hasty Pudding’s Woman of the Year
Elizabeth Banks is following in the footsteps of the likes of Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, and Meryl Streep. The multi-hyphenate has been named Hasty Pudding’s 2020 Woman of the Year....
Sarah Gavron Named Jury Chair for the BFI Future Film Festival Awards
Sarah Gavron will help celebrate the next generation of auteurs. A press release announced that the “Suffragette” helmer has been named Jury Chair of the BFI Future Film Festival, a UK...
Trailer Watch: Aidy Bryant Is Figuring Things Out in “Shrill” Season 2
Aidy Bryant is convinced she’s “finally figuring things out” in a new trailer for “Shrill’s” second season, but there are still plenty of bumps along the road....
Rachel Bloom and Betsy Sodaro Score Pilot Order from Pop TV for “Mother Mary”
Our favorite crazy ex-girlfriend is set to play the mother of the Antichrist. Rachel Bloom will follow-up her beloved CW musical series “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” with “Mother...
Cynthia Nixon Will Direct Groundbreaking Lesbian Play “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove” on Broadway
Theater mainstay Cynthia Nixon is returning to Broadway — but this time as a director. The “Sex and the City” alumna is set to helm a 40th anniversary production of Jane Chambers’...
Mélanie Laurent to Write and Direct Adaptation of “The Mad Women’s Ball”
Just over a month after word came that Mélanie Laurent will direct Elle and Dakota Fanning in an adaptation of Kristin Hannah’s “The Nightingale” comes news that she’s...
“Silence of the Lambs” Spinoff “Clarice” in the Works at CBS
Hello (again), Clarice. Clarice Starling is heading to the small screen. CBS just finalized deals for “‘Clarice,’ a crime drama series project based on the famous Thomas Harris...
2020 Oscar Noms: Women Shut Out of Directing Race (Yet Again) But Clean Up in Doc Category
The Academy Awards is celebrating its 92nd edition this year. Nominees for the biggest awards show of the season just dropped, and women directors have been excluded from the best director category...
Apply Now: 2020 Writers Lab for Women Screenwriters Over 40
The Writers Lab is gearing up for its 2020 edition. Applications for the program will be accepted beginning January 27. An intensive screenplay development retreat for women screenwriters who are 40...
Weekly Update for January 10: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING Like a Boss Best friends Mia (Tiffany Haddish) and Mel (Rose Byrne) are living their best lives, running the cosmetics company they’ve built from the ground up....
Limited Series About Pioneering Stuntwoman Julie Ann Johnson in the Works
The story of trailblazing stuntwoman Julie Ann Johnson may soon be coming to the small screen. According to Deadline, Keshet Studios is working on a limited series based on “The...
Emerald Fennell Is Working on a New Musical Version of “Cinderella”
Emerald Fennell is offering a fresh take on an old classic. The Guardian reports that the former showrunner of “Killing Eve” has teamed up with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber on a new...
Jillian Bell and Isla Fisher to Topline Sharon Maguire Disney+ Comedy “Godmothered”
Isla Fisher will wish upon a star to mixed results in a new Disney+ comedy. The “Blithe Spirit” star has signed on to topline “Godmothered” alongside Jillian Bell, who just...
Mara Brock Akil Inks Network-Direct Script Deal with Fox Entertainment
Mara Brock Akil is heading to Fox for her next TV project. Variety confirms the “Being Mary Jane” creator and veteran television writer-producer has signed a network-direct script deal...
ReFrame Teams Up with Delta Airlines for Women-Driven In-Flight Entertainment Channels
ReFrame, the coalition dedicated to improving gender representation across all areas of the film industry, is bringing women-led and -made entertainment to Delta Airlines. The two organizations have...
Fran Drescher and Rachel Bloom Are Working on a Musical Based on “The Nanny”
Rachel Bloom has sung about everything from heavy boobs to period sex to anti-depressants, and now the Golden Globe-winning “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” co-creator and star is turning to...
Tig Notaro to Receive Honor at Oscar Wilde Awards
The Oscar Wilde Awards is set to pay tribute to Tig Notaro. The Hollywood Reporter confirms that the Mississippi-born stand-up comedian “with Irish roots” will be recognized at the 15th...
Glasgow Film Fest Will Open with “Proxima,” Close with “How to Build a Girl”
Women-directed offerings will bookend the 2020 Glasgow Film Festival. The 16th edition of the fest will kick off with the UK premiere of Alice Winocour’s latest, mother-daughter drama...
Trailer Watch: Kelly Reichardt Tells the Story of Two Friends Starting a Business in “First Cow”
“History isn’t here yet. It’s coming, but maybe this time we can take it on our own terms,” says King Lu (Orion Lee) in the first trailer for Kelly Reichardt’s...
Writers Guild Film Nominations: “Little Women,” “Booksmart,” & More
Three of our favorite films by and about women from last year are among the nominees for the 2020 Writers Guild Awards. “Little Women,” “Booksmart,” and “The...
“Frozen 2” Is the Highest-Grossing Animated Film Ever
Elsa and Anna are adding another crown to their collection. “Frozen 2” is officially the highest-grossing animated movie of all time globally, Deadline reports. The original...
Weekly Update for January 3: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING The Grudge After a young mother murders her family in her own house, a detective (Andrea Riseborough) attempts to investigate the mysterious case, only to discover that the...
2019 Celluloid Ceiling Report: Women Hit Historic Highs Offscreen, But Are Still Far From Parity
From 2018 to 2019, the number of women directors working on the top 100 films tripled — from four percent to 12 percent — achieving a historic high. This is definitely something to...
“Killing Eve” Renewed for a Fourth Season
Eve and Villanelle’s toxic love story is adding another chapter. “Killing Eve” has been renewed for a fourth season by BBC America months ahead of its Season 3 premiere, Deadline...
Mia Hansen-Løve Will Head the Nordic Competition Jury at Göteborg Film Festival
Mia Hansen-Løve is headed to the Göteborg Film Festival. The French writer-director has been tapped to serve as head the jury of the Nordic competition at the 43rd edition of the fest, a press...
January 2020 Film Preview
Offerings from women filmmakers will not be slowing down in the new year. From thrillers to comedies to documentary films, there will be something for everyone to enjoy in January. Floria Sigismondi...
15 Most Anticipated Films By and About Women of 2020
By Jenna Dorsi and Sophie Willard It’s time to say goodbye to 2019 and hello to a new year full of films by and about women. Women and Hollywood has compiled a helpful guide of 15 of the...
Existential Struggles: VOD and Web Series Picks
Simply existing can be a confusing, scary, difficult endeavor. Many of us struggle with a lack of purpose, wish for better from life, or, even, know what we want but are prevented from getting it....
Trailer Watch: A Young Woman Crosses State Lines for an Abortion in “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
The title of Eliza Hittman’s latest, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” refers to the counseling session a young woman undergoes prior to getting an abortion. A healthcare provider...
Weekly Update for December 20: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
Season’s greetings from Women and Hollywood. We’re getting ready to go on break, so this will be our last Weekly Update of the year. We’ll resume the feature on January 3. Happy...
Sharon Horgan Inks First-Look Deal with Apple
Apple is welcoming one of our favorite multi-hyphenates into its folds. “Catastrophe” co-creator, star, writer, and exec producer Sharon Horgan has signed an exclusive first-look deal...
2019’s Best Films By and About Women
Adaptations of classic novels, feminist takes on the One Crazy Night trope, true stories based on actual lies — 2019 has been a superb year for women in film. From “Portrait of a Lady on...
Francesca Faridany on Playing a Woman Ahead of Her Time in “The Half-Life of Marie Curie”
Francesca Faridany is currently playing the titular character in Lauren Gunderson’s “The Half-Life of Marie Curie,” the story of the pioneering scientist’s friendship with...
Shamim Sarif Is Adapting Her Novel “The Athena Protocol” for TV
A television series about a group of female vigilantes working to protect women and children could be on the way. Author and filmmaker Shamim Sarif is adapting her new novel, “The Athena...
Freida Pinto to Topline & Produce Limited Series About Former U.S. Marine Anuradha Bhagwati
Freida Pinto is returning to the small screen. “The Path” alumna is slated to star in and produce a limited series based on former U.S. Marine Anuradha Bhagwati’s memoir...
Paula Patton to Topline and Produce “Josephine Baker’s Last Dance” Adaptation
Paula Patton is bringing Josephine Baker’s extraordinary life to the screen. The Hollywood Reporter confirms she has acquired film and television rights to “Josephine Baker’s Last...
Trailer Watch: Keira Knightley Disrupts Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s Miss World Competition in “Misbehaviour”
In 1969, 100 million people tuned in live to Miss World — “more viewers than for the moon landings or the World Cup final,” we learn in a trailer for “Misbehaviour.”...
Nancy Meyers to Be Honored with WGA West’s Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement
The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) is paying tribute to Nancy Meyers. The writer-director has been named as the 2020 recipient of the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement, a lifetime...
Trailer Watch: A Nurse Is Obsessed with Saving Her Patient’s Soul in “Saint Maud”
“It takes nothing special to mop up after the dying, but to save a soul — that’s quite something,” says Morfydd Clark in a new trailer for “Saint Maud.” Rose...
London Critics’ Circle Film Nominations Announced, “The Souvenir” Leads the Pack
The lovefest for”The Souvenir” continues. Earlier this month Joanna Hogg’s coming-of-age drama topped Sight & Sound’s Best of 2019 list, and now comes word that the pic...
The 2019 Black List Has Been Unveiled
As 2019 wraps up, it’s time to look onward. The Black List has unveiled its 2019 edition, offering a peek at what stories we’ll — hopefully — get the chance to see on the big...
2019’s Best Documentaries By and About Women
Women-directed docs have been a major part of the awards conversation all year — if only we could say the same about equally deserving titles in the narrative world. Our favorite documentaries...
Natalie Dormer Developing TV Series About WWII’s Forgotten Female Aviators
Natalie Dormer is taking flight. The “Game of Thrones” alumna is developing a TV series about WWII’s unsung female aviators via her newly launched production banner, Dog Rose...
2019’s Best Television Created By and About Women
It’s been an exciting year for television, especially women-driven television. Long-anticipated projects on new streamers, such as Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show,” finally...
Yes She Can: Crowdfunding Picks
This month’s crowdfunding picks look at women who persevere — whether through daring feats, everyday moments that could mean life or death, or divulging something personal to someone they...
Weekly Update for December 13: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING Black Christmas – Directed by Sophia Takal; Written by Sophia Takal and April Wolfe Hawthorne College is quieting down for the holidays. But as Riley Stone (Imogen...
Paula Pell and Merrill Markoe Win WGA Honors
The Writers Guild of America is set to celebrate Paula Pell and Merrill Markoe on different coasts. The former has been named as the winner of WGA East’s Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence...
Nisha Ganatra Signs Overall Deal with ABC Studios & Launches Ladies’ Car Productions
Nisha Ganatra has inked an overall two-year deal with ABC Studios, Deadline reports. The pact sees the “Late Night” helmer writing, directing, and developing projects across all platforms...
Lulu Wang Boards Nicole Kidman Amazon Series “The Expatriates”
Lulu Wang’s saying farewell to her breakout year and hello to 2020 with a new project. The “Farewell” writer-director will follow up the Golden Globe-nominated film by making her...
Trailer Watch: An Acid Attack Survivor Refuses to Be Silenced in Meghna Gulzar’s “Chhapaak”
Director Meghna Gulzar brings Laxmi Agarwal’s story to the big screen in “Chhapaak.” A trailer has arrived for the Hindi-language portrait of an acid attack...