Actress Sydney Sweeney is stepping into the ring with her latest role, portraying former boxing champion Christy Martin in the upcoming biopic Christy, set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this September.
Festival organizers released a first-look image Monday, revealing Sweeney’s dramatic transformation for the role. The film, which had previously been untitled, is scheduled to debut during TIFF, running from Sept. 4 to Sept. 14, with a wide theatrical release date still to be announced.
Best known for her performances in Euphoria and Anyone But You, Sweeney underwent an intense physical transformation to embody the boxing icon, who rose to fame as a champion fighter and survived a near-fatal attack by her ex-husband in 2010.
“My body was completely different,” Sweeney told W magazine. “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.”
David Michod directs the film, with Ben Foster playing Martin’s ex-husband, James Martin. The cast also includes Merritt Wever, Katy O’Brien, Ethan Embry, Jess Gabor, Chad L. Coleman, and Tony Cavalero.
In addition to Christy, TIFF will also host the debut of The Smashing Machine, a biopic about former UFC and PRIDE star Mark Kerr, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and directed by Benny Safdie. The film features Emily Blunt, along with real-life fighters Ryan Bader and Oleksandr Usyk.
Both biopics are among the most anticipated premieres at this year’s festival, spotlighting stories of resilience and redemption in combat sports.
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