and 2021, 179 original films were exclusive to
streaming services compared to 113 in 2019.
Viewing movies online grew in 2021 by 15%
versus a year earlier.
Other facets of moviemaking stayed stubbornly
the same, according to USC Annenberg’s
Inclusion Initiative. In a report released this
week, researchers found that in the 100
highest-grossing films of 2021, 41% featured
female leads or co-leads (compared to 51%
of the U.S. population) and 32% of leads were
from a historically excluded race or ethnicity)
compared to 40% of the U.S. population).
While those rates are substantially higher than
when USC researchers began tracking in 2007,
they suggested the industry’s belated and
gradual shift to more diverse representation
on screen is still falling short of reflecting
American audiences.
“While the industry reckons with the fallout
of the pandemic and the evolving theatrical
market, decision-makers must be wary that
the progress they have made can stagnate or
even reverse,” said Stacy L. Smith, director of the
Inclusion Initiative, in a statement.