UPDATE: Much like they did with ‘Rivals of Amziah King,’ Black Bear will be self-distributing “Christy” which will now not be acquired by any studio. You’d think Black Bear, at the very least, reached out to A24, Neon and co before coming to this decision. The film will now hit theaters nationwide on Nov. 7 in time for awards season.
Sydney Sweeney is set to make her TIFF debut on Friday, September 5, with “Christy,” David Michôd’s boxing biopic about trailblazing fighter Christy Martin. Vanity Fair has the exclusive first look stills.
The “Euphoria” star, however, makes it clear to Vanity Fair that she won’t be fielding questions about her recent (and widely viral) American Eagle campaign, which even managed to grab Donald Trump’s attention. “I’m not there to talk about jeans,” she said. “The movie’s about Christy.”
In “Christy,” Sweeney takes on the role of Martin who became the face of women’s boxing in the ’90s, only to see her career and life spiral after years in a controlling and abusive marriage to her trainer Jim Martin, played here by Ben Foster. Michôd co-wrote the script with Mirrah Foulkes after watching the Netflix doc “Untold: Deal With the Devil,” and has described the film as part underdog sports drama, part harrowing survival story.
The transformation was significant — Sweeney previously stated she gained more than 30 pounds for the role. “I didn’t fit in any of my clothes. I’m usually a size 23 in jeans, and I was wearing a size 27. My boobs got bigger. And my butt got huge. It was crazy! I was like, Oh my god,” she recalled.
There were real bruises, and even concussions from full-contact sparring with her co-stars. “Every single fight you see, we are actually punching each other,” she admitted.
For Michôd, the project was a chance to move away from stories of “deluded men.” Sweeney, who showed she csm absolutely act in “Reality,” seems to have delivered the transformation he was looking for.
Last we heard from Michod, he was editing a “new version” of his upcoming A24 stoner dramedy, “Wizards!, which was shot several years ago, has test screened many times but still hasn’t been dated for release. His other filmmaking credits include “Animal Kingdom,” “The Rover,” and “War Machine.”
