For the first time in 59 years films helmed by actresses topped the box office.
The women of Hollywood made history this year as the most popular films of 2017 in North America featured female leads.
Topping at number one was the latest installment of the Star Wars franchise Star Wars: The Last Jedi with whopping $533.1 million at the box office. The second largest grossing film was Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast and closing the top three was DC Comics’ Wonder Woman with $504 and 412.6 million respectively.
According to box-office, female led films were top three was back in 1958 with South Pacific, Auntie Mame, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
The Last Jedi was dubbed the most feminist of the Star Wars franchise yet, with strong female roles including trainee Jedi Rey (Daisy Ridley) and the late Carrie Fisher in her final performance as Princess made General, Leia.
The live-action remake of the 1991 Disney hit starred Emma Watson as Bell. While a Disney princess, she takes charge of her destiny and refuses to conform to social dictates and in essence turning a beast into a love stricken puppy.
Finally, Wonder Woman doubly succeeded as a female-led film. Starring newcomer Gal Gadot who portrayed a role model heroine, Wonder Woman is also the highest-grossing live-action movie ever directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins.
Hopefully powerful portrayals of female characters isn’t a fleeting moment but rather a new Hollywood zeitgeist.
