Women don't cut it for Warners

From correspondents in Los Angeles

October 11, 2007 01:00am   Article from:

 

THE President of Warner Brothers Pictures has caused an uproar in the US after allegedly declaring that the studio will no longer make films with a female in the lead role.

Warner Bros. head Jeff Robinov made the order following the disappointing box-office takings for two recent female vehicles - Jodie Foster's The Brave One ($US42 million worldwide) and Nicole Kidman's The Invasion ($14 million).

US newspaper LA Weekly has reported the story, quoting three separate Warner Bros. producers.

Women's rights activists are fuming at the studio boss's remarks after struggling for so long to win equal pay.

"If that's what he said, when movies with men as the lead fail, no one says we'll stop making movies with men in the lead," said noted attorney Gloria Allred.

"This is an insult to all moviegoers and particularly women. It is truly unfortunate that women get blamed for decisions which are made by men.

"Instead of taking responsibility for their own lack of judgment about which scripts to make, directors to hire and budgets to OK, some men in the movie industry find it easier to place blame for their lack of success on women leads and to exclude talented female actors from the top employment opportunities in Hollywood in favour of macho males."

But Robinov yesterday denied the reports and blamed poor execution and bad timing for The Invasion, which both Kidman and co-star Daniel Craig refused to promote. As for The Brave One, Robinov said he is "proud of the movie", which Foster continues to support around the world.

But Robinov said he is still willing to put a female star into an action role.