Christy Martin is known as one of the most prominent female fighters of the 1990s, rising to fame as a welterweight champion.
A stellar cast has joined the Christy Martin biopic, which will star Sydney Sweeney. Newcomers include Ben Foster, an Emmy nominee for Hell or High Water and The Survivor, Merritt Wever, an Emmy winner for Nurse Jackie and Unbelievable, Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding, Twisters), and Ethan Embry, known for Sweet Home Alabama and Grace and Frankie. Jess Gabor (Shameless) and Chad L. Coleman (The Wire, The Walking Dead) round out the cast.
This new project marks the second collaboration between Sydney Sweeney and Black Bear, after Immaculate
Christy Martin is known as one of the most important female boxers of the 1990s, achieving success as the welterweight champion. She was the first female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated and has broken numerous barriers in a traditionally male-dominated sport. However, her career and personal life have been marred by an abusive relationship with her husband Jim Martin, her trainer and manager, who was later sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempted murder.
The untitled Sydney Sweeney film will be directed by David Michôd (The King, Animal Kingdom) and written by Michôd and Mirrah Foulkes. Filming is currently underway in North Carolina. The story will focus on Christy Martin's public and private life, highlighting both her sporting successes and her personal struggles, including her troubled relationship with her husband and the attempt on her life.
Producers on the project include Kerry Kohansky-Roberts for Anonymous Content, David Michôd for Yoki, Inc., Justin Lothrop and Brent Stiefel for Votiv, Sydney Sweeney for Fifty-Fifty Films, and Teddy Schwarzman for Black Bear, which is fully financing the film.