Millennials and Gen X, who grew up loving Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock, never stopped wanting to see them. When Ticket to Paradise (2022), a formulaic rom-com starring the 54-year-old Roberts and 60-year-old George Clooney, made $170 million globally, it sent a thunderclap through the industry. The audience had been waiting for this.
: Actresses leveraged their fame to produce content. Reese Witherspoon (Hello Sunshine), Nicole Kidman (Blossom Films), and Viola Davis (JuVee Productions) greenlit projects explicitly designed for mature female leads. Witherspoon’s adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing and The Last Thing He Told Me are key examples.
Ageism is a pervasive issue in the entertainment industry, with women being disproportionately affected. According to a study by the Sundance Institute, women over 40 are significantly underrepresented in leading roles in film and television. However, there are signs that this is changing.
: As society becomes more age-acceptant and aware of the value of women at all stages of life, the demand for more authentic representations of mature women has grown.
Platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV+, and HBO Max exploded the demand for content. They didn't rely on the old studio math that prioritized teenage test audiences. These platforms needed volume and diversity of storytelling. They discovered that the coveted 18-49 demographic wasn't the only one with money. Gen X and Baby Boomer women are among the most loyal subscribers and binge-watchers. Streaming gave us Grace and Frankie (Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, now in their 80s), The Kominsky Method , and Mare of Easttown (Kate Winslet, 46 at the time), proving that stories about aging, loss, and second acts are box office gold.
Full article: Film and the stigmatisation of ageing female sexuality
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