{"id":2471,"date":"2020-02-11T19:40:09","date_gmt":"2020-02-12T01:40:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/read.streamapse.com\/?p=2471"},"modified":"2026-04-13T17:00:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T22:00:30","slug":"why-arent-hollywood-films-more-diverse-the-international-box-office-might-be-to-blame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/?p=2471","title":{"rendered":"Why aren\u2019t Hollywood films more diverse? The international box office might be to blame"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In 2014, a hacker group leaked confidential information from Sony Pictures Entertainment, including a controversial email<\/a> written by an unnamed producer.<\/p>\n

In the email, which went viral, the producer questioned the decision to cast Denzel Washington as the lead in \u201cThe Equalizer\u201d:<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that the international motion-picture audience is racist \u2013 in general, pictures with an African-American lead don\u2019t play well overseas\u2026 But Sony sometimes seems to disregard that a picture must work well internationally to both maximize returns and reduce risk, especially pictures with decent-size budgets.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Many actors, activists and newspapers<\/a> have raised concerns<\/a> related to diversity in Hollywood films. Several organizations, including blackfilm.com<\/a> and the Geena Davis Institute<\/a>, now actively monitor and promote diversity in media.<\/p>\n

But was the Sony producer onto something in raising concerns about the biases of moviegoers abroad? Is it possible that the lack of nonwhite and female lead characters in Hollywood films is driven, in part, by economic concerns from movie studios? Our analysis of more than 800 films<\/a> sampled between 2005 and 2012 suggests the answer is \u201cyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who\u2019s in the movies<\/h2>\n

Research suggests that films suffer from demographic disparities.<\/p>\n

In one study<\/a>, researchers at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism analyzed the demographic characteristics of over 11,000 speaking characters in hundreds of films and television series released in 2014. Approximately 75 percent of all actors involved were white. Meanwhile, 12 percent were black, 6 percent Asian, 5 percent Hispanic\/Latino and 3 percent were identified as Middle Eastern or \u201cother.\u201d<\/p>\n

We looked at the top-grossing films each year from 2005 to 2012, using information from Box Office Mojo<\/a>, IMDB<\/a>, The New York Times movie reviews<\/a> and Rotten Tomatoes<\/a>. Our data include the 150 top films each year that were distributed domestically and abroad, excluding G-rated and animated films.<\/p>\n

Just 28 percent of movies in our sample had a female first lead character. Only 19 percent had a nonwhite first lead character.<\/p>\n

These figures are in stark contrast to the demographics of the U.S. population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau<\/a>, approximately 51 percent of the U.S. is female and 35 percent is nonwhite or Hispanic.<\/p>\n

Consumer tastes<\/h2>\n

Recently, film studios have faced<\/a> more intense competition<\/a> from independent filmmakers, increased globalization and streaming video sources. In this environment, film studios may be inclined to supply movies with characteristics that appeal to more consumers and increase profits.<\/p>\n

Since international box office revenue is now more than twice as large as domestic revenue, the economic incentive for studios to cater to the preferences of international audiences is larger than ever. The top five international box office markets<\/a> are China, Japan, the U.K., France and India.<\/p>\n