Films more likely to star an actor called Chris or a talking animal than a woman over 60, study finds

‘Where are the stories about us?’ … Emma Thompson. Photograph: Mike Marsland/WireImage

Box office hit films are four times more likely to star a talking animal than a woman over 60, according to a new survey by Age Without Limits.

The anti-ageism campaign studied the 100 highest performing films released in the UK in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and found that while five starred an older woman, about 20 featured creatures who chat.