Black Bear has released the trailer for “Christy,” a new sports biopic starring Sydney Sweeney as the International Boxing Hall of Fame icon Christy Martin.
Other cast members include Katy O’Brian, Merritt Wever, Ben Foster, Ethan Embry, Chad L. Coleman, Valyn Hall and Tony Cavalero. David Michôd directed and co-wrote the film with Mirrah Foulkes from a story by Katherine Fugate.
Sweeney told Variety at the Toronto International Film Festival, where “Christy” held its world premiere, that she packed on 30 pounds to embody the role of the world-class fighter.
“I had a nutritionist work with me as well as a weight trainer and a boxing trainer,” Sweeney explained, “We upped my calorie intake and I started taking a lot of protein shakes and supplements and eating everything. I ate a lot of Smuckers, a lot of PB and J sandwiches, milkshakes, kind of just constantly always eating because we were so active. I was constantly burning it all off at the same time. So keeping it all up was quite a challenge.”
Variety film critic Owen Gleiberman was very keen on the film. In his enthusiastic review, he praised Sweeney for her “true-note, game-changing knockout of a performance.”
“It’s fun to see her in the ring, hunched and concentrated, pummeling away, then felling an opponent with a merciless left hook — but whenever that happens, her ebullience comes out,” Gleiberman added. “She grins in triumph and pumps her fists in the air like a kid at her own birthday party; the pleasure she takes in winning is part of what makes her a star.”
Executive producers include Foulkes, John Friedberg, Andrew Golov, Michael Heimler, Harrison Huffman, David Levine, Clementine Quittner, Ryan Schwartz, Nick Shumaker and Brad Zimmerman. Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, Justin Lothrop, Teddy Schwarzman, Brent Stiefel, Sweeney and Michôd serve as producers.
“Christy” comes to theaters Nov. 7. Check out the trailer below.