Wonder Woman broke records this past weekend as the highest grossing movie to be directed by a woman. Here are some more to look forward to this year.
There is an inexcusable gender imbalance in Hollywood. This includes directing among other fields. Hopefully, Patty Jenkin’s Wonder Woman will break this barrier to allow more female directors into the industry. But, before that happens, here are some female directed movies to check out.
Upcoming
‘Megan Leavey’ (June 9)
Megan Leavey follows the true story of a female marine and her combat dog. Megan Leavey stars Kate Mara, Tom Felton, and Bradley Whitford, and is directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite. Cowperthwait previously directed the groundbreaking documentary, Blackfish, about the captivity and abuse of killer whales. Megan Leavey comes out this weekend, June 9, 2017.
‘Rough Night’ (June 16)
At a bachelorette party, five best friends accidentally kill the stripper. Rough Night stars Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell, Ilana Glazer, and Zoë Kravitz, and features a supporting cast filled with notable comedians. Lucia Aniello directs Rough Night. She has previously written and directed episodes of Broad City, and created the Comedy Central miniseries Time Traveling Bong.
‘The Beguiled’ (June 23)
Based on the 1971 movie, a Southern female boarding school takes in a wounded Union soldier, during the Civil War. The Beguiled stars Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, Kirsten Dunst, and Colin Farrell. Director Sofia Coppola recently won the Best Director award for this film at the Cannes Film Festival, and is the first female director to win this award in over 50 years. Coppola previously directed the Oscar nominated Lost in Translation, as well as multiple other significant films.
‘The Bad Batch’ (June 23)
The Bad Batch is a romantic, comedic, horror film in a dystopian setting involving cannibals. It features Suki Waterhouse, Jason Momoa, Giovanni Ribisi, Jim Carrey, Keanu Reeves, and Diego Luna. The Bad Batch is directed by Ana Lily Amirpour, who previously directed the notable film A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, which premiered at Sundance in 2014. The Bad Batch was previously screened at both the Toronto International Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival.
‘Landline’ (July 21)
Landline is a dysfunctional family comedy that premiered at Sundance this year. It stars Jenny Slate, Edie Falco, John Turturro, and Jay Duplass. Landline is directed by Gillian Robespierre, who directed Obvious Child, which was screened at numerous film festivals and received many awards.
‘Detroit’ (August 4)
Based on a true story, Detroit focuses on a riot in Detroit in 1967. It stars John Boyega, Will Poulter, Anthony Mackie, and John Krasinski, and is directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Bigelow is the first female to win an Oscar for Best Directing, for the 2009 The Hurt Locker. Her 2012 film Zero Dark Thirty was also nominated for Best Picture.
‘Home Again’ (September 8)
Home Again stars Reese Witherspoon, whose character allows three young men to move in with her. Home Again also features Michael Sheen, Lake Bell, and Nat Wolff, and is directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer. This is Meyers-Shyer’s directorial debut, and she is the daughter of female filmmaker icon, Nancy Meyers.
‘Battle of the Sexes’ (September 22)
Battle of the Sexes is about the tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Emma Stone stars as King and Steve Carell stars as Riggs, and the cast also features Sarah Silverman and Alan Cumming. Battle of the Sexes is co-directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton. This directing team previously made Ruby Sparks and the Oscar winning film Little Miss Sunshine.
‘Pitch Perfect 3’ (December 22)
Pitch Perfect 3 is the third installment following the Barden Bellas. Much of the main cast returns, including Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, and Hailee Steinfeld. This is directed by Trish Sie, who previously directed Step Up: All In. This is the second Pitch Perfect movie in a row to have a female director, following Pitch Perfect 2, in 2015, directed by Elizabeth Banks.
‘A Wrinkle in Time’ (March 9, 2018)
Based on Madeleine L’Engle’s classic novel, A Wrinkle in Time is about a young girl, Meg, who follows Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, to find her father. A Wrinkle in Time stars Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Storm Reid as Meg. This is directed by Ava DuVernay, who previously directed the Oscar nominated films Selma and 13th. Following Wonder Woman, this is the second movie with a female director to have a budget over $100 million, and the first movie with a budget that high to be directed by a black woman.
Recent
‘Before I Fall’ (March 3, 2017)
Based on Lauren Oliver’s 2010 novel, Before I Fall follows a teenager trapped to repeat the same day in order to save a classmate from committing suicide. Before I Fall stars Zoey Deutch and Halston Sage, and is directed by Ry Russo-Young. Russo-Young previously directed Nobody Walks and You Won’t Miss Me, which both premiered at Sundance.
‘The Zookeeper’s Wife’ (March 31, 2017)
Based on the non-fiction novel by the same name, The Zookeeper’s Wife follows a woman who opens her zoo to Jewish refugees in order to hide them during the Holocaust. The Zookeeper’s Wife stars Jessica Chastain and Daniel Brühl, and is directed by Niki Caro. Caro notably directed Whale Rider, and will be directing Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of Mulan, which will also have a budget above $100 million.
‘Their Finest’ (April 7, 2017)
Based on the novel by Lissa Evans, Their Finest is about woman who is hired to write British propaganda during World War II. It stars Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, and Bill Nighy, and is directed by Lone Scherfig. Scherfig previously directed the 2009 Oscar nominated film An Education, and more recently directed One Day and The Riot Club. Not only was Their Finest directed by a woman, but the movie also had female producers, screenwriter, composer, and editor.
‘Everything, Everything’ (May 19, 2017)
Based on Nicola Yoon’s novel, Everything, Everything is about a girl who has never left her house due to a disease that affects her immune-system, who falls in love with the boy who moves in next door. Everything, Everything stars Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson, and is directed by Stella Meghie. Meghie’s directorial debut, Jean of the Joneses, premiered at South by Southwest in 2016.
Update (June 7):
And per Adam Pally and Taylor Murphy’s requests…
Yeah for real add band aid to this list hypable what the f
— adam pally (@adampally) June 7, 2017
‘Band Aid’ (June 2, 2017)
In Band Aid, a couple starts a band, turning their fights into songs, to try to save their marriage. It stars Zoe Lister-Jones, Adam Pally, and Fred Armisen. Band Aid is written and directed by Lister-Jones, as her directorial debut. Additionally, Band Aid has essentially an all female crew. Band Aid premiered at Sundance earlier this year, and was released June 2, so it is in theaters now!