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Sydney Sweeney is stepping into the boxing ring as Christy Martin, and she's barely recognizable. In the newly released first look at the Christy Martin biopic, she’s rocking a brunette mullet, ripped muscles, and a gritty presence that makes her true transformation impossible to ignore.
Posted on the X account for the Toronto International Film Festival, the photo highlights Sweeney's dedication to the role as she steps into uncharted territory. Directed by David Muchod, the film will be presented during the festival for the first time.
Co-written with Mirrah Foulkes, the film charts Martin’s rise from coal miner’s daughter to world boxing champion in the 1990s and her harrowing survival of an attack by her husband and manager in 2010. The cast includes Ben Foster as Jim Martin, Katy O’Brian as Martin’s boxing rival, Merritt Wever, Ethan Embry, and Chad L. Coleman, among others.
More details on Sydney Sweeney's Christy Martin biopic
To become the legendary fighter Christy Martin, Sweeney committed to an intense three-and-a-half-month training regime that included weight training in the morning, kickboxing for hours in the afternoon, and more weights at night. The result? A 30-pound gain, size 27 jeans, more muscle, a sculpted physique, and a total glow-up that stunned even her.
Talking about the film and the transformation she worked for, the actress told W Magazine,
“I loved it. I came onboard to play Christy, and I had about three and a half months of training. I started eating. I weight-trained in the morning for an hour, kickboxed midday for about two hours and then weight-trained again at night for an hour.”
She then added,
“My body was completely different. 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.’ But it was amazing: I was so strong, like crazy strong.”
On set, Sydney’s dedication even showed in fight scenes: co-star Katy O’Brian recalled being “punched quite a few times” and noted Sweeney didn’t shy away even when punches got rough.
Director Michôd also praised her work ethic while calling her a “ray of sunshine” despite the brutality of filming boxing scenes, as he told W Magazine,
"Sydney trained her butt off to play the part...She turned up to work every day with her tail wagging, ready to go. No matter how tough it was, she was like a ray of sunshine"
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Martin herself was involved in the film’s development, training Sweeney in real ring movement and ensuring authenticity throughout. She has praised Sydney’s passion and hopes the film will bring awareness to domestic violence, identity, and perseverance beyond the boxing career.
Christy will be released in September 2025 at the TIFF.
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