How 'Star Wars' director J.J. Abrams sees greater role for women in saga
Abrams singled out mothers and their daughters in his hopes for who would go see his upcoming 'Star Wars' film. While the perception lingers that science fiction and fantasy are men-only zones, female moviegoers are making up a big part of the audiences for these films.
Abrams singled out mothers and their daughters in his hopes for who would go see his upcoming 'Star Wars' film. While the perception lingers that science fiction and fantasy are men-only zones, female moviegoers are making up a big part of the audiences for these films.
Through all the previews, female character Rey (Daisy Ridley) has been at the center of the action along with male characters in the movie 鈥淪tar Wars: The Force Awakens.鈥� Now 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� director J.J. Abrams has reached out directly to female fans while discussing the upcoming film.
鈥淚 was really hoping this could be a movie that mothers could take their daughters to as well,鈥� Abrams said in a recent interview.聽
Abrams鈥� comments represent a reaching-out to female moviegoers and an effort to include everyone.
Many remember original 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� character Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and her take-charge attitude. But apart from minor characters, Leia is often the only female character involved in the story.聽
Actresses Gwendoline Christie and Lupita Nyong鈥檕 star alongside Ridley in this new movie. Christie stars as the possibly evil Captain Phasma, while Nyong鈥檕 portrays pirate Maz Kanata through motion capture.聽
As noted by Abrams himself, the traditional thinking is that 鈥淪tar Wars,鈥� comic books, and science fiction or fantasy in general has been the domain of men. 鈥溾�橲tar Wars鈥欌�� was always a boy鈥檚 thing and a movie that dads could take their sons to,鈥� he said when making his hopeful comments about mothers and their daughters attending the film.
Abrams鈥檚 comments will no doubt be appreciated by many fans, male and female. While this perception that fantasy or science fiction is a boys鈥� game continues in some circles, the numbers haven鈥檛 borne this out for some time. For 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� itself, the opening weekend audience for the previous new 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� film, 鈥淪tar Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith,鈥� was 58 percent male, just a bit over half.聽
For the opening weekend of the latest Marvel Comics movie, 鈥淎nt-Man,鈥� the numbers were in fact the same, with 58 percent of the audience counted as male. The latest movie set in the 鈥淟ord of the Rings鈥� universe attracted moviegoers in its opening weekend that were 60 percent male.
Sci-fi and fantasy fans will no doubt appreciate Abrams鈥� comments as acknowledging a reality that already exists: many moviegoers are going to see these stories, not just the demographic often called 鈥渇anboys.鈥�