Sydney Sweeney’s career could not be hotter, and she’s taking that success as judiciously as possible. Sure, she could have gone after more romcoms after the runaway success of Anyone But You, but instead, she dove into horror mode with bestseller-suspense mode on the way and a boxing biopic on the nearer horizon.
That latter selection will bring the life and career of so-called “Female Rocky,” 1990s welterweight prizefighter Christy Martin, to the big screen. This role has involved getting jacked, which has not been without (ridiculous) controversy. Let’s sum up what we can expect from this Black Bear sports drama.
Plot
Christy Martin in 2003 prior to fighting Laili Ali in Biloxi, Mississippi
The word “unrecognizable” is frequently used to point towards actor transformations, but for real, photos of Sweeney in costume (with a mulleted brown wig and loose warmup-style clothing) fit that bill. She also worked ceaselessly to transform her body (which she previously proclaimed to be “itching” to do), and when trolls commented upon recent bikini photos, Sweeney fired back with a training montage (which you can see here) that could make Rocky Balboa cry.
Physicality aside, Christy Martin’s story was also destined to be an emotionally tough role due to Christy’s ordeals at the hand of her abusive husband, Jim Martin. Following years of emotional and physical abuse, he shot and maimed Christy when she attempted to leave the relationship. Recovering from her injuries and prosecuting Jim required more strength than the boxing ring demanded, and director David Michôd, who also co-wrote with Mirrah Foulkes, told Deadline about his approach to telling Christy’s story:
“The film is about Christy as a young gay woman in small-town West Virginia in the 1990s. She came from a relatively conservative family and wasn’t allowed to be who she was so she used boxing as a vehicle to express herself and her rage. She had to make some dangerous and fundamental compromises in her life, the most important of which was marrying an incredibly dangerous man.”
On Instagram, Sweeney described this movie as “one of the most emotional, transformative experiences of my life. Christy’s journey is so deeply inspiring, and having her by my side during this process was nothing short of surreal. There were moments on set where I’d glance over at her standing by the monitors, cheering us on, and I’d just become so emotional. Knowing what she’s endured, what she’s pushed through to be there in that moment-it made me want to cry.” She added, “This story is so much bigger than just a film. It’s a testament to resilience, survival, and finding the strength to keep fighting.”
ESPN previously published a graphic account of what Christy endured, both during her marriage and when she tried to leave Jim. Along the way, she did have the foresight to leave evidence behind to help make the case against Jim when the time came. Currently, Jim Martin remains in prison after receiving a 25-year sentence.
Cast
In addition to Sweeney, this film will star including Ben Foster and Ethan Embry, one of whom is probably portraying Christy’s abusive (and attempted murderer) husband, Jim Martin. Additionally, Merritt Wever, Jess Gabor, and Chad L. Coleman are onboard with Coleman possibly in the role of Don King, who counted Christy as his first female signee.
A name that should lift eyebrows is Katy O’Brian, who recently holed out in A24’s queer thriller Love Lies Bleeding. Please let her get into the ring as an opponent to Christy Martin.
Release Date
Filming finished up already this fall, and expect this A24 film to receive festival attention next year.
Trailer
A trailer should be coming along before too long, but on a semi-related note, here’s Sweeney talking to Good Morning America about how she conquered her body dysmorphia on the Euphoria set, which in a roundabout way, is part of what brought her to this movie.
