Has Sydney Sweeney found a sneaky way to get ripped and find an excuse to punch out anyone who gives her trouble? That remains to be seen, but she certainly appears ready to train to play noted female boxer Christy Martin in a new biopic from The King's David Michôd.
Written by Michôd alongside Mirrah Foulkes, the yet-to-be-titled biopic charts the rise of Martin, who grew up gay in a conservative family in small town Virginia. She turned to boxing as a way to be herself and channel her rage, and ended up America’s most well known female boxer in the 1990s. Her life transformed in 1989 when she met her manager, and later husband, Jim Martin. Breaking boundaries, she became the first woman to sign with iconic promoter Don King, and the only female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Her charisma, good looks and resilience in the ring won her an avid fanbase and propelled her to become welterweight champion. But behind the well-honed public persona, she tackled personal demons, toxic relationships, and a brutal attempt on her life.
For Sydney, the role is something she's anticipating. "I grappled and did kickboxing from 12-19 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," she tells Deadline. "Christy Martin not only legitimized female boxing she overcame gender stereotypes, and fought through emotional, physical, and financial abuse. I’m passionate about the fighting world, Christy’s story shines a light on her incredible rise to the top while showing the struggles of fame behind the curtains. I feel compelled to tell a story about a woman who faced so much adversity and didn’t allow it to defeat her. It’s powerful, and emotional."
As for Michôd, he sees it as a change of focus: "I have a history of making movies about damaged men and I’d been wanting to make a film about a woman with a ferocious energy inside her. When I came across the Christy Martin story two years ago I knew I’d found it. Her ferocity is intelligible and justifiable and audiences will crave it because of the circumstances she was forced to endure".
The cameras will roll on this one in the autumn.