From famous kids (Maude Apatow, Maya Hawke) to formidable storytellers (Reed Morano, Lulu Wang), here are the women who will rule 2019.
Women in Hollywood are finally getting the attention they deserve, both on and off-screen, and as we focus on 2019, it's time to showcase the formidable talent on the cusp of breaking through.
In honor of International Women's Day, a day celebrating and recognizing women's rights, ET is spotlighting the actors, directors and writers who you need to know this year. If 2018 was any indication -- from the fierce women of Black Panther to the, ahem, rich female-led storytelling of Crazy Rich Asians to Lady Gaga's stunning Oscar-nominated turn in A Star Is Born -- the days of powerful, empowering, inclusive and diverse roles and stories for women are upon us. And thank goodness for that!
Meet the 17 women who will be -- and in some cases, already are -- ruling Hollywood in front of and behind the camera in 2019.
Maude Apatow
What She's Done: This Is 40, Funny People, Knocked Up, Assassination Nation
What She Has Coming Up: HBO's Euphoria
The eldest daughter of comedy power couple Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, Maude Apatow has already made a name for herself with her entertaining Twitter feed and appearing in several of her parents' big-screen comedies. But later this year, the 21-year-old transitions from teen to adulthood in HBO's anticipated high school-set drama series, Euphoria, opposite Zendaya, where she will play a student navigating drugs, sex, identity, trauma, social media, love and friendship.
Ella Balinska
What She's Done: British series The Athena
What She Has Coming Up: Charlie's Angels
A relative newcomer to Hollywood, Ella Balinska scored the role of a lifetime when she was cast as one of the Angels in Elizabeth Banks' upcoming Charlie's Angels reboot, with Kristen Stewart and Naomi Scott rounding out the iconic trio. The 22-year-old Brit only started working on the big screen just a few years ago and her star wattage is just going to get brighter.
Anna Boden
What She's Done: Half Nelson, It's Kind of a Funny Story
What She Has Coming Up: Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel wouldn't be Captain Marvel without the astute eye of co-writer and co-director Anna Boden, who, along with writing/directing partner Ryan Fleck, steered Marvel into the 21st century with its first female-led superhero movie. But before she entered the Marvel universe, she was instrumental in smaller, character-driven films, like the Ryan Gosling-led Half Nelson and It's Kind of a Funny Story with Zach Galifianakis.
Lucy Boynton
What She's Done: Bohemian Rhapsody, Sing Street
What She Has Coming Up: Netflix's The Politician
Lucy Boynton made heads turn this past year when she supported her man, Oscar winner and Bohemian Rhapsody co-star Rami Malek, during awards season. But the 25-year-old New York-born English actress has had quite the resume, appearing in the critically acclaimed musical drama, Sing Street, in 2016. And she'll have an even bigger year in 2019, when she's set to appear in Ryan Murphy's star-studded Netflix series, The Politician.
Hanelle Culpepper
What She's Done: Star Trek: Discovery, How to Get Away With Murder, AMC's upcoming NOS42
What She Has Coming Up: CBS All Access' untitled Jean-Luc Picard series
Hanelle Culpepper is a veteran of the business, having helmed episodes of Star Trek: Discovery, How to Get Away With Murder and Counterpart, but she'll be making history this year when she becomes the first woman to launch a Star Trek TV series as a director in the storied franchise's 53-year legacy, boldly going where no woman has gone before. Culpepper will direct the first two episodes of Patrick Stewart's new Jean-Luc Picard series for CBS All Access.
Nisha Ganatra
What She's Done: Transparent, You, Me, Her, Better Things
What She Has Coming Up: Late Night
Nisha Ganatra has established herself in the TV world, but it will be her team-up with Mindy Kaling's Late Night, which stars Emma Thompson as a female late-night host, that could put catapult her to the next level.
Maya Hawke
What She's Done: Little Women miniseries
What She Has Coming Up: Season 3 of Stranger Things, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
The daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, the 20-year-old actress has acting in her blood. After dipping her toes in the modeling world, Maya made her acting debut in BBC's miniseries adaptation of Little Women in 2017, playing Jo March. This year, she'll star in Stranger Things season three as a new character to the Hawkins scene and also appear in Quentin Tarantino's upcoming Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Josephine Langford
What She's Done: Wish Upon
What She Has Coming Up: After
The younger sister of 13 Reasons Why star Katherine Langford, Josephine is ready to hit the Hollywood scene with what's sure to be the next teen obsession: After. The movie adaptation of Anna Todd's best-selling novel, which was originally One Direction fan fiction, stars Josephine as college student Tessa Young, who falls for a guy with a dark secret. Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, the nephew of Ralph and Joseph Fiennes, plays said "guy," Hardin Scott.
Reed Morano
What She's Done: The Handmaid's Tale
What She Has Coming Up: The Rhythm Section
Though Reed Morano started her career as a cinematographer (she was behind Beyonce's art film Lemonade and the Oscar-nominated Frozen River), her transition to directing in recent years has truly made her a star. See her stunning, Emmy-winning work on The Handmaid's Tale. While a hand injury to star Blake Lively caused Morano's upcoming directing effort, revenge drama Rhythm Section to be delayed, it's back on track to be released this Thanksgiving and is sure to be worth a look.
Nico Parker
What She's Done: Nothing
What She Has Coming Up: Dumbo
The 14-year-old daughter of Thandie Newton and Ol Parker is making quite an entrance with her first film (and acting gig): Dumbo. Fans are sure to fall in love with Parker when Tim Burton's take on the classic Disney flick releases in March. And she'll be in good company. The live-action film also stars Eva Green, Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito and Alan Arkin.
Florence Pugh
What She's Done: AMC's Little Drummer Girl, Lady Macbeth, Fighting With My Family
What She Has Coming Up: Midsommar, Little Women
Florence Pugh, 23, made her acting debut in 2014 and just two years later, she was winning awards for her performance in the independent drama, Lady Macbeth. Pugh's profile raised last year with roles in Outlaw King and Little Drummer Girl, but she's got a big 2019 ahead of her. Her first film of the year, Fighting With My Family, just released, while Midsommar, starring Jack Reynor and Will Poulter, will debut in August. Just a few months later, audiences can catch her on screen when Greta Gerwig's Little Women premieres on Dec. 25. The film also stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Eliza Scanlen, Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Chris Cooper and Meryl Streep.
Margaret Qualley
What She's Done: HBO's The Leftovers
What She Has Coming Up: FX's Fosse/Verdon, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Margaret Qualley, the youngest child of Andie MacDowell and Paul Qualley, has been acting since 2013, after she scored a role in Gia Coppola's Palo Alto. The same year, she won a main role on The Leftovers, continuing to star in smaller films while acting on the HBO series. The 24-year-old actress returns to TV this year in FX's Fosse/Verdon, playing Fosse's lover Ann Reinking in the Michelle Williams and Sam Rockwell series. She'll also appear in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Haley Lu Richardson
What She's Done: The Edge of Seventeen, Support the Girls
What She Has Coming Up: Five Feet Apart, The Chaperone
Haley Lu Richardson, 24, may not be a household name (yet), but the charming, vibrant and totally underrated actress made a splash when she played Hailee Steinfeld's best friend in the 2016 coming-of-age dramedy, The Edge of Seventeen. Now she's starring in two of her own films: the beautifully poignant Five Feet Apart, in which she portrays a 17-year-old with cystic fibrosis who unexpectedly falls in love with another patient (Cole Sprouse), and The Chaperone, in which she plays dancer-actress Louise Brooks.
Ry Russo-Young
What She's Done: Before I Fall
What She Has Coming Up: The Sun Is Also a Star
Ry Russo-Young first came onto the scene when she co-wrote, co-directed and starred in the 2003 short, Babes in Toyland, which turned into gigs behind the camera on films like You Wont Miss Me, Nobody Walks with John Krasinski and teen drama Before I Fall with Zoey Deutch. She'll be keeping in the YA genre when she directs the big-screen adaptation to the bestselling novel, The Sun Is Also a Star. Led by Yara Shahidi and Riverdale's Charles Melton, the tale follows two young teens who meet and fall in love in the Big Apple, but circumstances outside their control threaten their future together.
Naomi Scott
What She's Done: Power Rangers, Disney Channel's Lemonade Mouth
What She Has Coming Up: Aladdin, Charlie's Angels
London-born Naomi Scott entered the scene nearly 10 years ago on the Disney Channel, with a role on the network's TV movie, Lemonade Mouth, in 2011. The same year, she starred on Fox's futuristic dinosaur series, Terra Nova, and has consistently worked since. Her profile raised in 2017 with the release of Power Rangers, but it seems 2019 will be her year, as she returns to her Disney roots as Jasmine in the live-action Aladdin, and stars alongside Kristen Stewart and Ella Balinska in Elizabeth Banks' Charlies Angels reboot.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
What She's Done: British series Broadchurch, Solo: A Star Wars Story; Creator of Killing Eve and Fleabag
What She Has Coming Up: Season 2 of Amazon's Fleabag
If you aren't familiar with Phoebe Waller-Bridge by now, then you've been living under a rock. Thankfully, Waller-Bridge, who is the definition of a triple threat (writing, producing and starring) is back in front of the camera with the long-awaited sophomore season of her witty dark comedy, Fleabag. Though she won't be leading the charge as showrunner of BBC America's Killing Eve in season two, her off-kilter sense of humor and love of all things weird are all over the DNA of the beloved female spy thriller.
Lulu Wang
What She's Done: Posthumous
What She Has Coming Up: The Farewell
Lulu Wang, whose 2014 feature directorial debut Posthumous put her on the map, puts Crazy Rich Asians breakout Awkwafina front and center in her first major leading role in the heartfelt film, The Farewell, which premiered at Sundance this year to rave reviews. Based on Wang's own personal experiences, the story follows a Chinese American woman, Billi (Awkwafina), who returns to China after her grandmother is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
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