In the context of the film and television industries, to greenlight is to give permission to proceed with a project.
[5] However, the studio president, chairman, or chief executive is usually the person who makes the final judgment call.
[5] For the largest film budgets involving several hundred million U.S. dollars, the chief executive officer or chief operating officer of the studio's parent media conglomerate may hold final greenlight authority.
[5] In practical terms, greenlight power in the 21st century at major film studios means the power to commit the studio to spending about US$100 million, on average, for a feature-length motion picture designated for wide release for the North American market.
[2] Historically, this power was exclusively held by white male executives in Hollywood, though the status quo has slowly begun to change since the turn of the 21st century.