Charlize Theron blasts 'caveman-like' Hollywood

Theron adopts a British accent for her latest action role

Charlize Theron has called Hollywood "caveman-like" for so rarely allowing women to direct big-budget films.

"I am ashamed I'm part of an industry that has never allowed a woman to work with a budget higher than what the budget has been on Wonder Woman," the Oscar-winning actress told Variety.

Directed by Patty Jenkins, Wonder Woman was made for a reported $149m (£116m) and has made $746m (£582m) worldwide.

Theron, 41, also bemoaned the lack of female-driven action films.

Her comments come ahead of the release of Atomic Blonde, in which she stars as a British MI6 agent in 1980s Berlin.

The actress, who won an Oscar after working with Jenkins in Monster, played another action-oriented role in 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road.

Gal Gadot played Wonder Woman in Patty Jenkins' film

Speaking to Variety, though, the South African-born star rued the way the rare female successes in the traditionally male-dominated genre were not capitalised upon.

"We've had moments like this, where women really showcase themselves and kind of break glass ceilings," she said.

"And then we don't sustain it. Or there's one movie that doesn't do well, and all of a sudden, no one wants to make a female-driven film."

Theron sustained various injuries while shooting Atomic Blonde, among them a twisted knee and two cracked teeth.

"It was tough," she said of the film, released in the UK on 9 August. "You want to be in your best fighting shape, and it's hard."

Theron worked with Jenkins on 2003 film Monster

Theron's other films this year include Fast and Furious 8, in which she played a villainous role opposite Vin Diesel and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.

Earlier this year Michelle Rodriguez revealed she was considering leaving the action franchise over the way it treated its female characters.

"I hope they decide to show some love to the women of the franchise on the next one," she wrote on Instagram.

Wonder Woman became the most successful live-action film to be directed by a woman last month after exceeding the takings of 2008's Mamma Mia!.