Female Directors Set New Record in 2019 Thanks to Captain Marvel and Frozen 2

It looks like female directors have reached new heights last year.

According to a report by Variety, a new study by the USC Anneberg Inclusion Initiative has just revealed that major movies directed by women have set new box office records last year. Back in 2018, only 10.6 percent of the Hollywood industries highest-grossing movies came from female directors. This year, it's now at 15.1 %. That's a 4.5% of growth, a significant leap for diversity and representation.

Of course, this increase comes from the fact that we've seen some of the major blockbuster movies coming from women in 2019. There was Frozen 2, which was directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck. The sequel to the popular Disney 3D animated movie managed to rake in $1.23 billion at the global box office, becoming one of the best films from Disney this year.

There was also Captain Marvel directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. The film meant a lot to the Marvel Cinematic Universe because it was the franchise's first-ever female-led comic book movie. Brie Larson starred in the film as Carol Danvers and the film went on to make $1.127 billion at the global box office.

According to one of the study's authors, Stacy L. Smith, there are several reasons why numbers for female directors have improved. There's been the MeToo movement, and Time's Up, both of which have forced studios to begin changing their hiring practices. Women creators have also begun to have a higher profile in the industry thanks to the different opportunities that have become available in spaces like Sundance, and in television and in streaming platforms.

This year will prove to be another major year for women as well, with female-led films like Wonder Woman and Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).

Birds of Prey is set for release on February 5, 2020. Wonder Woman is set to release on June 5, 2020.

Read: Here's a List of Everything Coming to Disney+ Through January 26