It has been widely noted that Hollywood has had a dearth of interesting female roles since, well, forever.

But times, they are a'changing.

A big contributing factor to meatier roles for women, is more women getting involved behind the camera, with an increasing number of female writers, directors and producers diversifying the film and television.

And, from the sounds of it, several of Hollywood's most renowned actresses want in on the action.

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Let's not forget that Reese Witherspoon started her own production company, Pacific Standard, with Bruna Papandreaback in 2012.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the company has gone onto produce some of the industry's most critically-acclaimed films of the 21st century, including Academy-Award nominated film Wild and psychological thriller literary adaptation, Gone Girl.

Both showed strong, interesting and profound female leads.

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The Oscar-winner is now turning her hand to television, starring and co-producing in the new female-heavy HBO, Big Little Lies, which is co-produced by co-star, Nicole Kidman, and stars Shailene Woodley and Zoe Kravitz.

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Kidman – who currently stars in the Oscar-nominated film, Lion – also launched a production company, Blossom, back in 2010 and has since produced three films.

Jessica Chastain | ELLE UK FEB 2017pinterest
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Now, actress Jessica Chastain has joined the ranks of women in Hollywood, who are actively creating films and television shows, made by women, about women.

According to Deadline, the Zero Dark Thirty actress' latest venture is called Mercury 13, and follows the story of a group of women in the 1960s who were denied the opportunity to join the Mercury Space programme.

She's reportedly producing the show under her company, Freckle Films.

The project is a strategic move by Chastain, whose show will follow the success of Hidden Figuresthe Oscar-nominated film starring Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe about African-American women working at NASA – which just topped La La Land's box office sales.

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Daisy Murray
Digital Fashion Editor

Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.