Only nine women directors, so far, have ever been given a budget north of $100 million. Even fewer have done so without also having a male co-director or on projects that aren't animated. That needs to change, and with "A Wrinkle In Time" opening this weekend, hopefully that changes soon.
Kathryn Bigelow - "K:19 - The Widowmaker" (2002) - $100 Million
Before she became the first (and only) woman to win the Oscar for Best Director, Kathryn Bigelow was the first woman director to land a $100 million budget for her 2002 submarine thriller "K-19: The Widowmaker."
Jennifer Yuh Nelson - "Kung Fu Panda 2" (2011) - $150 Million
Jennifer Yuh Nelson directed the $150 million sequel to "Kung Fu Panda." She came back for the third film as well with a similar budget, but would then be paired with male director Alessandro Carloni.
Lana and Lilly Wachowski - "Cloud Atlas" (2012) and "Jupiter Ascending" (2016) - $128.5 Million and $176 Million
Lana Wachowski came out publicly as a transgender woman in 2012 while discussing the creative process behind "Cloud Atlas." She would then co-direct "Jupiter Ascending" in 2015, with Lilly also coming out as trans woman in 2016.
Jennifer Lee with Chris Buck - "Frozen" (2013) - $150 Million
Jennifer Lee's "Frozen" won two Oscars and was a pop cultural smash, and she'll direct the sequel as well along with Chris Buck.
Patty Jenkins - "Wonder Woman" (2017) - $149 Million
Patty Jenkins was only the third woman to direct a $100 million budgeted movie solo. "Wonder Woman" went on to make $412 million at the domestic box office.
Ava DuVernay - "A Wrinkle in Time" (2018) - $103 Million
Disney's "A Wrinkle in Time" is an ambitious fantasy that should hopefully inspire a new generation of filmmakers and young kids, but it hasn't been tracking well at the box office thus far.
Anna Boden with Ryan Fleck - "Captain Marvel" (2019)
Marvel's first female-fronted property enlisted Anna Boden along with Ryan Fleck, best known for their indie "Mississippi Grind."
Niki Caro - "Mulan" (2020)
Niki Caro's live action adaptation of the animated hit "Mulan" was supposed to come out later this year, but was recently pushed back to 2020.