Washington DC [US], September 11 : The makers have unveiled the trailer for 'Christy', a sports biopic starring Sydney Sweeney as legendary boxer Christy Martin, the first female fighter inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, reported by Variety.
The film, directed by David Michod and co-written with Mirrah Foulkes from a story by Katherine Fugate, also features Katy O'Brian, Merritt Wever, Ben Foster, Ethan Embry, Chad L. Coleman, Valyn Hall and Tony Cavalero.
Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film drew attention not only for its subject but also for Sweeney's physical transformation for the role.
The actor revealed to Variety that she gained 30 pounds through a rigorous regimen designed by a nutritionist and trainers.
"I had a nutritionist work with me as well as a weight trainer and a boxing trainer," Sweeney said, adding, "We upped my calorie intake and I started taking a lot of protein shakes and supplements and eating everything. I ate a lot of Smuckers, a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, milkshakes, kind of just constantly always eating because we were so active. I was constantly burning it all off at the same time. So keeping it all up was quite a challenge," Sweeney said as quoted by Variety.
Film critic Owen Gleiberman praised the film, calling Sweeney's performance "a true-note, game-changing knockout."
"It's fun to see her in the ring, hunched and concentrated, pummeling away, then felling an opponent with a merciless left hook -- but whenever that happens, her ebullience comes out," Gleiberman added.
"She grins in triumph and pumps her fists in the air like a kid at her own birthday party; the pleasure she takes in winning is part of what makes her a star," as reported by the outlet.
Executive producers include Foulkes, John Friedberg, Andrew Golov, Michael Heimler, Harrison Huffman, David Levine, Clementine Quittner, Ryan Schwartz, Nick Shumaker and Brad Zimmerman. Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, Justin Lothrop, Teddy Schwarzman, Brent Stiefel, Sweeney and Michod serve as producers, according to Variety.
'Christy' brings to the screen the life and career of Christy Martin, who became one of the most prominent female boxers by the late 1980s, soaring to global star status. Martin was the first female boxer elected to the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame in 2016. Her fights drew national attention, and she remains a pioneering figure in women's boxing history.
The film is scheduled to release in theatres on November 7.