David Michod's Christy Martin biopic starring Sydney Sweeney begins production

Sydney Sweeney-led feature about Christy Martin from director David Michod has begun production in North Carolina.

Also joining the cast are Hell or High Water's Ben Foster, Unbelievable's Merritt Wever, Love Lies Bleeding's Katy O’Brian, Grace And Frankie's Ethan Embry, Three Women's Jess Gabor, and The Walking Dead's Chad L. Coleman.

The film tells the true story of Christy Martin, who rose to fame as America’s most successful female boxer in the 1990s. Behind this well-honed public persona, Christy tackled personal demons, toxic relationships, and an attempt on her life, proving that a fighter’s hardest-won victories aren’t always in the ring.

Producers are Kerry Kohansky-Roberts for Anonymous Content, David Michôd for Yoki, Inc., Justin Lothrop and Brent Stiefel for Votiv, Sweeney for Fifty-Fifty Films and Teddy Schwarzman for Black Bear, who is also fully financing.

Executive producers include Michael Heimler and John Friedberg for Black Bear, Foulkes, Brad Zimmerman for Yoki, Inc., David Levine, Ryan Schwartz and Nick Shumaker for Anonymous Content, and Harrison Huffman.

Black Bear is handling the international rights, while UTA Independent Film Group, AC Independent (Anonymous Content’s sales and finance division), and Black Bear are co-representing U.S. rights. 

Their upcoming slate includes David Mackenzie’s Relay, starring Riz Ahmed and Lily James; Guy Ritchie’s In the Grey starring Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal and Eiza Gonzalez; Andrew Patterson’s crime thriller The Rivals of Amziah King starring Matthew McConaughey; David Ayer’s Levon’s Trade starring Jason Statham; Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams starring Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones; and Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex, starring Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman and Charli XCX. 

• Cooper Hoffman joins Olivia Wilde in Gregg Araki's 'I Want Your Sex'