UCLA releases its annual Hollywood Diversity Report underscoring 'diversity sells'
LOS ANGELES -- Leading up to the Oscars, The UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report released its findings. It analyzed English-language theatrical releases ranked in the top 200 at the global box office.
"One of the reasons we report prior to the Oscars is we want to show what was actually available," said Darnell Hunt, executive vice chancellor and provost at UCLA.
"What was there as a possible contender for recognition," added Hunt who is also a co-founder and co-author of the report.
The latest report underscores that diverse audiences prop up the film industry.
"The big takeaway, of course, is that diversity sells," said Hunt.
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) audiences bought a majority of opening weekend domestic tickets for seven of the top 10 films released in theaters.
"They've shown year after year in our reports that they want diverse content in film and television," Hunt said.
Nine of the top 10 films at the global box office featured casts that were more than 30% BIPOC.
Five of the top 10 films at the global box office featured casts that were more than 40% female. Women-led films like "Barbie" remain an exception. Although women have made gains since the report started back in 2014, their share of key roles in 2023 remained stagnant or in decline.
"Barely held on in terms of their share of directors, which again is much lower than their share of the population. But they actually lost ground among leads and among total actors," said Hunt.
People of color make up about 2.9 out of 10 lead actors in theatrical films, which was an increase from 21.6% in 2022 to 29.2% in 2023, according to the report.
Adults with disabilities as film leads remain underrepresented but also saw a slight increase from 2022.
Hunt stressed representation in media matters because Hollywood is not just entertainment.
"It does shape the way we think about each other and about ourselves and I think it's a missed opportunity when we're not including more people in that process," he said.
This is the first of a two-part series of reports. The second will focus on top streaming films from 2023 and will be published later this year.
