Girls beat Boys in US box office

Watch out, Boys, the killer babes are moving up!

A report released this week by Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and technology company Shift7 shows box office performances of female-lead movies beating out male-driven movies - and that is shaking deeply-held perceptions in Hollywood.

Top CAA agent, Christy Haubegger, said "In our business, there is a lot of bias disguising itself as knowledge. The perception that it's not good business to have female leads is not true. They're a marketing asset."

The CAA report, done in conjunction with Shift7 and prompted by the women's activist movement, Times Up, was motivated by the desire to pressure the powers that be to cast more women and people of color in leading roles.

Many have long contended that enhanced diversity is good for business and could pump up profits. Now they have the data to prove it.

The report showed that in every budget range from under $10 million to over $100 million, the top movies from 2014 to 2017 starring female leads took their male-led competitors to the mat, out-performing them across the board.

Amy Pascal, former Chair of Sony Pictures, said, "This is powerful proof that audiences want to see everyone represented on screen. Decision-makers in Hollywood need to pay attention to this."

The movers and shakers in the group include: Pascal; former Chief Technology Officer for the United States under President Barack Obama, Megan Smith; CAA power agent, Alexandra Trustman; Liza Chasin, Executive Producer of Academy Award winning Darkest Hour and Baby Driver; and Academy Award-winning actor, Geena Davis, a longtime advocate of metric-supported equality casting in Hollywood.