Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster and More Join Sydney Sweeney-Led Biopic

Emmy nominee Ben Foster (“Hell or High Water,” “The Survivor”), Emmy winner Merritt Wever (“Nurse Jackie,” “Unbelievable”), Katy O’Brian (“Love Lies Bleeding,” “Twisters”), Ethan Embry (“Sweet Home Alabama,” “Grace and Frankie”), Jess Gabor (“Shameless,” “Three Women”), and Chad L. Coleman (“The Wire,” “The Walking Dead”) have joined the cast of the upcoming Sydney Sweeney-led feature about boxer Christy Martin.

Martin is best known as the most successful female boxer of the 1990s. She went on to become the welterweight champion and is, to date, the only female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. She was physically abused by her husband Jim Martin, who was also her boxing coach and manager, who was later charged with attempted second-degree murder with a firearm and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Christy’s life was previously portrayed on screen in the “Deal with the Devil” episode of the anthology documentary series “Untold.”

The untitled film is directed by David Michôd, with a script written by Mirrah Foulkes and Michôd. Production began Monday in North Carolina. 

The movie will be produced by 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 will handle international rights for the film, while UTA Independent Film Group, AC Independent (Anonymous Content’s sales and finance division), and Black Bear are co-representing U.S. rights. This project marks the second collaboration between Sweeney and Black Bear, who recently partnered on “Immaculate.”

This film tells “the unbelievable true story of formidable Christy Martin, who rose to fame as America’s most successful female boxer in the 1990s. A naturally gifted fighter, Christy’s life transformed in 1989 when she met her manager, and later husband, Jim Martin. Breaking boundaries, she became the first woman to sign with iconic promoter Don King, and the only female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Christy’s charisma, good looks and unwavering resilience in the ring won her a wide fan base and propelled her to become welterweight champion. 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,” the movie’s logline reads.