Charlize Theron is fighting the assumption that action must be a genre genre. The Oscar winner, who has led action films like “Atomic Blonde” and recently “The Old Guard 2,” told The New York Times that it’s “harder” to make female-led films in the genre.
“Yes, it’s harder. That’s known,” Theron said of why there are fewer female-led action films. “Action films with female leads don’t get greenlit as much as those with male leads. I think what always frustrates me is that the guys get a free ride.”
Theron continued that it doesn’t matter if male actors in the action space are bankable stars; if a male-led film, the actor’s reputation will suffer. “When women do it and the film maybe doesn’t quite hit the mark, they don’t necessarily need another shot,” Theron said. “With this [‘The Old Guard 2′], we were aware that the eyes were on us. It’s not a risk that studios want to take, but they will often take it on the same guy who may have a string of action films that didn’t do so well.”
“The Old Guard 2” is directed by Victoria Mahoney; Gina Prince-Bythewood directed the first installment, released in 2020. Mahoney teased a possible third film in the franchise while speaking to Indiewire, but implied that she would be “watching from the sidelines” as an audience member rather than a director.
Theron isn’t the only actress/producer lamenting how women are treated differently by studios. Riley Keough told Vanity Fair that there’s more “pressure” on female filmmakers, who have historically gotten a shot at producing, starring, and directing than their male counterparts. “As a woman, there’s a sense of pressure of, ‘I can’t mess up,'” Keough said . “‘I can’t make a shitty movie.’ But I think, for me, I can’t live like that.”
Keough added that it’s “such a strange time” in Hollywood right now and that she’s “incredibly grateful to be working.” “Every day I’m on set, I feel so lucky,” the “Alpha Gang” star said.
