Black Bear Pictures
Black Bear Pictures released the first trailer for their upcoming film Christy starring Sydney Sweeney on Thursday. The film, which debuted last week to positive reviews at the Toronto Film Festival is a biopic about trailblazing Hall of Fame boxer Christy Martin.
“Christy Martin (Sydney Sweeney) never imagined life beyond her small-town roots in West Virginia — until she discovered a knack for punching people,” reads the film’s description. “Fueled by grit, raw determination, and an unshakable desire to win, she charges into the world of boxing under the guidance of her trainer and manager-turned-husband, Jim (Ben Foster).
“But while Christy flaunts a fiery persona in the ring, her toughest battles unfold outside it — confronting family, identity, and a relationship that just might become life-or-death. Based on remarkable true events, Christy Martin’s story is one of resilience, courage, and the fight to reclaim one’s life.”
Christy Martin, who competed professionally in boxing from 1989 to 2012, was the first female boxer elected to the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame. She was later inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the first year female boxers were on the ballot.
“The Coal Miner’s Daughter” went 49-7-3 with 32 knockouts during her illustrious career. She fought some of the biggest early names in women’s boxing including Mia St. John, Holly Holm, Laura Serrano, Deirdre Gogarty, Isra Girgrah, and Laila Ali. Martin won the WBC female super welterweight title in 2009.
Sydney Sweeney, who is getting early Oscar buzz for her performance, had to gain 30 pounds to play Martin.
“I had a nutritionist work with me as well as a weight trainer and a boxing trainer,” Sweeney told Variety at TIFF. “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.”
Christy debuts in theaters on November 7.