• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

John August

  • Arlo Finch
  • Scriptnotes
  • Library
  • Store
  • About

Male vs. Female lead

September 10, 2003 Film Industry, QandA

I am writing a script that could have either a male or female lead. I need to make the decision because it will either be the mother or father of the central figure. It is a futuristic action script. I have outlined it and completed drafts both ways. If all things are equal, is a Male or Female action lead easier to sell?

–David

Male. Which is stupid and wrong.

I’m currently working on an action script that has a male lead. Since I haven’t pitched the story to anyone, I could easily change him to a her. I’ve thought about it many times: it would be an interesting if somewhat arbitrary change. Yet in the back of my mind, I know that having a female lead would cap the budget at a lower level than the male equivalent, and since the nature of the movie is hellaciously expensive, I worry it might not get made at all.

So he stays a man, and the stupid and wrong Hollywood system is perpetuated. Although, in my defense, I wrote both CHARLIE’S ANGELS movies, so I might get off the hook.

Related Posts

  1. Action writing
  2. Courier 12 pt. font
  3. Index cards

Primary Sidebar

Newsletter

A weekly-ish roundup of stuff we've found interesting delivered right to your inbox.

Read Past Issues

Explore

Projects

  • Arlo Finch (27)
  • Big Fish (87)
  • Charlie (39)
  • Charlie's Angels (16)
  • Chosen (2)
  • Corpse Bride (9)
  • Dead Projects (18)
  • Frankenweenie (10)
  • Go (30)
  • Karateka (4)
  • Monsterpocalypse (3)
  • One Hit Kill (6)
  • Ops (6)
  • Preacher (2)
  • Prince of Persia (13)
  • Shazam (6)
  • Snake People (6)
  • Tarzan (5)
  • The Nines (118)
  • The Remnants (12)
  • The Variant (22)

Apps

  • Bronson (13)
  • FDX Reader (11)
  • Fountain (32)
  • Highland (71)
  • Less IMDb (4)
  • Weekend Read (33)

Recommended Reading

  • First Person (82)
  • Geek Alert (145)
  • WGA (121)
  • Workspace (19)

Screenwriting Q&A

  • Adaptation (66)
  • Directors (90)
  • Education (48)
  • Film Industry (479)
  • Formatting (128)
  • Genres (90)
  • Glossary (6)
  • Pitches (29)
  • Producers (59)
  • Psych 101 (117)
  • Rights and Copyright (95)
  • So-Called Experts (46)
  • Story and Plot (170)
  • Television (161)
  • Treatments (21)
  • Words on the page (236)
  • Writing Process (177)

More screenwriting Q&A at screenwriting.io

© 2021 John August — All Rights Reserved.