Movie Date: Women and the Movies

Compared to men, women got fewer than a third of speaking roles in the most successful films two years ago.

But a new study by the website FiveThirtyEight found that movies with multiple female characters actually have a higher return at the box office than those that don't.

The study looked at nearly 2,000 films from the past 25 years and noted whether they passed the Bechdel Test. To pass the Bechdel test, which was created by graphic novelist Alison Bechdel, a film must have two women in a scene together, talking to each other, about something other than a man. Only about half of the films the study examined passed that test.

But those that did pass the test earned $2.68 for each dollar spent. Those that didn't pass only earned $2.45 for each dollar spent.

In this interview, Kristen Meinzer, of the Movie Date podcast, talks about this season's slate of movies featuring strong female characters, as well as what influence they might have on the box office.