A new era of female-led movies has emerged as a result of the gradual shift in how women are portrayed in movies over the past several decades in Hollywood. These films not only have strong female leads but also bring in a sizable amount of money at the box office.
These female-driven films’ success may be attributed to their enduring source material, memorable soundtracks, compelling female lead characters, and outstanding visual effects. The growth of each franchise has captured the attention of viewers all across the world. Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Frozen II have revolutionised the rules of filmmaking by breaking down barriers and smashing box office records, with actresses driving the change.
‘Alice in Wonderland’ (2010) – 1.02 billion
19-year-old Alice Kingsleigh (Mia Wasikowska), who stars in the Tim Burton-directed film, journeys back to the fantastical kingdom of Underland to reunite with her companions, including the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), and free the world from the rule of the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter).
The cherished source material of Lewis Caroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass is expanded in this 2010 fantasy adventure film. The audience thoroughly loved the astounding visual effects produced by the live-action and CGI animation techniques. It revived the tradition of “adult” fairy tale movies thanks to its enormous global box office success.
‘Beauty and the Beast’ (2017) – 1.26 billion
Belle (Emma Watson) is imprisoned by the Beast (Dan Stevens) in his castle in the little village of Villeneuve. After some time, she makes friends with the magical staff of the castle and discovers a method to see beyond the Beast’s repulsive surface. She recognises the true prince’s kind heart and soul as they get to know one another better. They can break the Beast’s curse if they can fall in love with each other.
One of the highest-grossing live-action musical films is this live-action adaptation of the beloved Disney romance classic. It adapts well-known characters for a modern audience. The story’s ability to be timeless, as evidenced by the ability to maintain its original soundtrack and visually amazing technology, is undeniable. It offers insight on the value of inner beauty and the power of love, and it has received praise for the acting of its cast.
‘Captain Marvel’ (2019) – 1.13 billion
After the Light-Speed Engine was destroyed, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), a former US Air Force pilot, was exposed to the Tesseract’s energy. She was injured in the crash and transformed into an extraterrestrial Kree warrior, giving her cosmic abilities. Danvers strives to learn more about her past while attempting to put an end to the interstellar conflict between her people and the Skrulls with the aid of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson).
It provided an excellent introduction to a new female superhero as the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to have a female lead. Larson, an Oscar winner, was acclaimed for her portrayal because it positioned Danvers to play a significant role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With its focus on female representation and empowerment, it blends seamlessly into the franchise.
‘Finding Dory’ (2016) – 1.02 billion
This computer-animated film is the follow-up to the well-known Finding Nemo film from Disney. With the aid of her buddies Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo, Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) sets off on a heroic quest to find her parents (Hayden Rolence). She understands she needs to free her parents from captivity as she follows the trail to the Sea Life Institute.
Dory is a beloved sidekick, so the sequel was certain to be a success. Although Dory appears to be a happy-go-lucky person on the outside, her emotional journey is what really captures the attention of the film’s audience of all ages. The characters share life lessons with us while navigating a fantastic underwater environment with warmth, charm, and comedy.
‘Frozen’ (2013) – 1.28 billion
The story of Princess Anna (Kristen Bell), who teams up with an iceman named Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his reindeer Sven, and an Olaf (Josh Gad), a snowman, to find her beloved sister Elsa (Idina Menzel), who had accidentally trapped their kingdom in an eternal winter with her ice powers, is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s 1844 fairy tale The Snow Queen.
The audience follows two sisters as they go through every stage of life with each other, from playing when they were little to ignoring each other for over ten years, but they constantly support one another. With its killer soundtrack of sing-along tunes like “Let It Go” and outstanding animation, the first Walt Disney Animation Studios movie to win Best Animated Feature is incredibly popular with both kids and adults.
‘Frozen II’ (2019) – 1.45 billion
The sequel to Frozen arrives three years after their initial journey. The entire kingdom was forced to flee after Elsa mistakenly aroused the elemental spirits, forcing Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf to go to an Enchanted Forest. They need to know where Elsa’s magical abilities came from in order to make things right.
It seemed simple to predict that this film would succeed in the same way as the original. Frozen II featured a compelling plot, incredible animations, and genuinely endearing characters that viewers of all ages appreciated, even though it wasn’t as magical as the original. Disney’s box office results demonstrate that they actually understand how to tell a compelling tale, whether you laugh, weep, or cringe.
‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ (2016) – 1.05 billion
Prior to the renowned original trilogy, the first stand-alone Star Wars novella introduces a new story. Scientist Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) is compelled to serve as the Empire’s chief engineer on the Death Star, the most lethal weapon in the galaxy. In order to obtain the blueprints for this moon-sized space station for the Rebel alliance, his daughter Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is forced to team up with a gang of resistance fighters.
Despite its deceptive movie trailer, the audience was given a unique perspective on a new Star Wars story. It provides a story distinct from the Skywalker saga and goes beyond being a basic spin-off by shining a spotlight on those who have sacrificed their lives for the greater good. The need to bring down the Empire made the plot far more significant as a beautiful prelude to Episode IV.
‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ (2015) – 2 billion
General Leia Organa looks for her brother Luke Skywalker thirty years after Return of the Jedi while Poe Dameron gets a map of Skywalker’s location. They collaborate with the veterans of the Rebel Alliance to battle the First Order and Kylo Ren, the successor to the Galactic Empire, with the aid of Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhe), Rey, Finn, and Dameron.
In this installment of the Star Wars saga, certain familiar characters from the first three films returned along with some new ones. The stunning visual effects gave the universe a more vibrant sense than in earlier films. This was the highest-grossing female lead movie thanks to the anticipation of a new trilogy, which attracted both new and existing fans.
‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ (2017) – 1.33 billion
Rey continues to seek assistance from the venerable Luke Skywalker in the second episode of the Star Wars prequel trilogy in order to aid the Resistance in their struggle against Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order. General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), Finn, and Poe Dameron command their squads as they make an effort to evade a First Order attack with the Resistance fleet in jeopardy.
The Last Jedi’s breathtaking visuals provide an engaging spectacle while allowing viewers to learn more about the Star Wars world. Great box office results were achieved despite the film’s seeming disarray thanks to its defiance of expectations, iconic Star Wars quotations, and intriguing character development.
‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ (2019) – 1.07 billion
‘Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker’ stars Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley as Kylo Ren and Rey. Picture source: Lucasfilm
Disney released the third film in the Star Wars prequel trilogy to wrap up the nine-part Skywalker story. Rey must complete her Jedi training with Luke Skywalker since the wicked Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) has risen from the dead (Mark Hamill). At the Sith world of Exogol, the Resistance will make its last stand against the First Order under the leadership of Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac).
In their opinion, the film focused more on providing fan service than it did on portraying a classic Star Wars tale. Disney delivered incredible visual effects but traded the individual arcs of the main characters to rely on nostalgia, even though cherished prequels and original characters returned. The end of the Skywalker period is tragic, but fresh stories in the universe are more than welcome.
