Latest news with #Michôd
Elle
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Sydney Sweeney Completely Transforms Into Boxing Legend Christy Martin for Her New Film
A new sports biopic is on the way. Euphoria's Sydney Sweeney will transform into the boxer Christy Martin in the forthcoming film, Christy. It was directed by David Michôd (The King) and co-written by Michôd and Mirrah Foulkes (Judy & Punch). Michôd, who's also known for directing War Machine and Animal Kingdom, said that he has been eager to make a strong female-led film for a while. 'I have a history of making movies about damaged men, and I'd been wanting to make a film about a woman with a ferocious energy inside her,' he told Deadline. 'When I came across the Christy Martin story two years ago, I knew I'd found it.' Sweeney will also produce the film through her production company Fifty-Fifty Films. Ahead, here's everything we know about the forthcoming boxing biopic. Christy chronicles the life of Christy Martin, the most successful female boxer of the '90s. She also shattered boundaries by becoming the only female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. But while she found success in the ring, she was also navigating a violent and toxic relationship at home. Michôd elaborated on Christy's themes. 'The film is about Christy as a young gay woman in small-town West Virginia in the 1990s,' he told Deadline. 'She came from a relatively conservative family and wasn't allowed to be who she was, so she used boxing as a vehicle to express herself and her rage. She had to make some dangerous and fundamental compromises in her life, the most important of which was marrying an incredibly dangerous man.' Sydney Sweeney will play the titular character. On October 16, 2024, she posted the first look at her character on Instagram. ''Well the cats out of the bag thanks to some paps in bushes so here's a little bts from my film I'm working on right now,' she wrote in her caption. 'Over the past few months, I've been immersed in training to bring to life the story of an incredible woman—a true champion who fought battles both inside and outside the ring. her journey is a testament to resilience, strength, and hope, and I'm honored to step into her shoes to share her powerful story with you all.' On July 21, she posted another sneak peek of herself in character: In addition to Sweeney, the cast also includes Ben Foster (Hell or High Water), Merritt Wever (Severance), Katy O'Brian (Love Lies Bleeding), Ethan Embry (Grace and Frankie), Jess Gabor (Shameless), and Chad L. Coleman (The Walking Dead). In her recent W cover story, Sweeney spoke about her physical transformation. She trained for three and a half months and gained 30 pounds for the role. 'I started eating,' she said. '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 continued, '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.' In another interview, Sweeney shared that she'd been wanting to find a physically challenging role. 'I grappled and did kickboxing from 12-19 years old,' she shared with Deadline. 'I've been itching to get back into the ring, train, and transform my body. Christy's story isn't a light one. It's physically and emotionally demanding. There's a lot of weight to carry. But I love challenging myself.' The film is set to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this September. There's no word yet on when it will come to theaters. This story will be updated.
Elle
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
How Sydney Sweeney Completely Transformed Her Body for a New Role
Sydney Sweeney didn't just learn to throw a jab for her upcoming Christy Martin biopic—she also rebuilt her physique. In a new W Magazine cover story, the 27-year-old recalls signing on to play the famous boxer and immediately embracing a fighter's schedule: '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, kick-boxed midday for about two hours, and then weight-trained again at night for an hour.' All that work added over 30 pounds, and change in her wardrobe. '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!' Still, the payoff was worth it: 'I was so strong, like crazy strong.' Director and co-writer David Michôd was equally struck by her commitment. 'Sydney trained her butt off to play the 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,' he told the magazine. That transformation, however, vanished almost as quickly as it arrived. Michôd recalled FaceTiming Sweeney seven weeks after wrap, when she was back in the Euphoria makeup trailer: 'I was stunned by the change in her appearance,' Michôd said. 'I had only seen her as an adorable, tough moppet with late-'80s hair, ready to box. Sydney was happiest when she was in the ring punching and being punched. It was shocking to see her being so glamorous.' The intense regimen revived an old passion for the actress. 'My mom told me from a very young age to fall in love with as many things as possible,' Sweeney said, listing skiing, wake-boarding, grappling, and kick-boxing among the sports she took up before acting took over. Production on the still-untitled film has wrapped, and Sweeney is already helping introduce it to fans: On June 8, she rode alongside Martin as grand marshal of the International Boxing Hall of Fame's Parade of Champions in Canastota, New York.
