Shana Stein on Directing 'The Boys' and 'The Testaments' and Gender Disparity in Film

Director Shana Stein discusses her work on Amazon's 'The Boys' and Hulu's 'The Testaments', highlighting the gender disparity in film directing. A USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative study found that only one in ten top-grossing films in 2025 had a female director, a seven-year low. Dr. Stacy Smith, study co-author, stated that hiring decisions are not based solely on performance, as women of color receive fewer opportunities. Stein, a Texas native and NYU theater graduate, contrasts the two projects: 'The Boys' explores power corruption and ends with love prevailing, while 'The Testaments' depicts a totalitarian regime's collapse and youth rebellion. She notes that despite 'The Boys' title, it is a feminist show with gender balance on and off screen, crediting showrunner Eric Kripke, executive producer Michaela Starr, studio exec Lamar Chase, network exec Andie Green, and producing director Phil Sgriccia for a supportive environment. Stein, a married mother of two, embraces her role as a female director, finding humor in dark times and applying improv's 'Yes And' philosophy to her work.