Sydney Sweeney is being joined by some incredible genre actors for her upcoming sports biopic focusing on former pro boxer, Christy Martin. Directed by David Michôd, the untitled movie tells the life story of Martin, the first female boxer elected into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the record holder for the most knockouts of any female boxer. The movie was announced in May this year and recently got an incredible production update, also revealing who’ll be in Sweeney’s corner for the movie.
While boxing is a one-on-one sport, it takes a team of people to prep a boxer for a fight, and Sydney Sweeney is being joined by some modern faces of the science fiction and western genres for the film. Per Deadline, The Mandalorian and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania star Katy O’Brian, Hell or High Water co-lead Ben Foster, and Godless star Merritt Wever will be joining Sydney Sweeney in the ring for the project. Their characters have yet to be revealed. As well as the new cast, it was also revealed that the still-untitled film has officially begun shooting, although a release window is still unknown.
The movie will focus on Christy Martin’s historic career inside the ring, and her toxic relationship with her husband. Despite her on-camera persona suggesting otherwise, Christy Martin dealt with substance abuse issues for much of her career and was trapped in an abusive marriage.
Sydney Sweeney Calls Christy Martin’s Story “Physically & Emotionally Demanding”
The last few years have seen Sydney Sweeney tackle softer subject matter in her movies, namely in the light-hearted romcom Anyone But You, and Madame Web, whatever that film can be classified as (is it too soon to call it a cult movie?) That said, the Christy Martin biopic will bring the actress back to a darker place, more akin to her breakout role in Euphoria. Following the movie’s announcement in May, Sweeney commented on what would be required of her to play the boxer. While she already has much of the physicality necessary, thanks to a childhood love of kickboxing, the emotional toll of portraying such a character will be an exhausting, but important undertaking. Sydney Sweeney said:
“I grappled and did kickboxing from 12 to 19 years old. I’ve been itching to get back into the ring, train and transform my body. Christy’s story isn’t a light one, it’s physically and emotionally demanding. There’s a lot of weight to carry, but I love challenging myself. Christy Martin not only legitimized female boxing, she overcame gender stereotypes, and fought through emotional, physical, and financial abuse.”
As well as the Christy Martin biopic, Sydney Sweeney is also gearing up for the third season of Euphoria. The hit HBO show’s return has been hampered by several delays. Sweeney gave the most recent update on the third season, confirming that the show is still in the works, despite rumors about its cancelation, and explained that Season 3 will come with an unexpected time jump, partly as a result of the delays.