Sydney Sweeney is getting in the ring.
The breakout from, well, basically everything she’s done lately (“Anyone but You,” “Euphoria,” and “The White Lotus,” to name a few) is set to play boxer Christy Martin in an upcoming biopic directed by David Michôd (“Animal Kingdom”). Insert your own joke here about being a knockout. The script for the untitled project was written by Mirrah Foulkes and Michôd.
Martin was the most successful female boxer of the 1990s. She signed with Don King and is the only female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Martin became welterweight champion — but that was about the end of the good things in her life. Christy was physically abused by husband (and boxing coach, and manager) Jim Martin, who was eventually convicted of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Christy Martin’s life is documented in “Untold,” the excellent series of documentaries by Chaplain and Maclain Way. Her episode is subtitled “Deal with the Devil,” and is part of Volume 1.
The scripted biopic will be produced by Kerry Kohansky-Roberts for Anonymous Content, Michôd for Yoki, Inc., Justin Lothrop and Brent Stiefel for Votiv, Sweeney for Fifty-Fifty Films, and Teddy Schwarzman for Black Bear, the company financing the film. Executive producers include Michael Heimler, John Friedberg, Foulkes, Brad Zimmerman for Yoki, Inc., as well as David Levine, Ryan Schwartz, and Nick Shumaker, who will executive produce on behalf of Anonymous Content. Black Bear plans to bring the project to international buyers at the Cannes Film Market; UTA Independent Film Group, AC Independent, Anonymous Content’s sales and finance division, and Black Bear will co-represent the U.S. rights.
Sweeney is represented by Paradigm, Stuart Brookman, and imPRint. Michôd is represented by UTA and Alan Wertheimer and Kim Jaime at Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner Auerbach Hynick Jaime LeVine Sample & Klein. Foulkes is represented by UTA, Untitled Entertainment, and Robert Wallerstein at Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof + Fishman.
The only person busier in Hollywood than Glen Powell is his “Anyone but You” co-star. Sweeney has already starred in two films in 2024, the forgettable “Immaculate” and “Madame Web,” which we all (including its stars) wish we could forget. Her “Echo Valley” and “Eden” are in post-production, supposedly there will be a “Euphoria” Season 3, and Sweeney said she even wrote a script during COVID lockdown. There’s more coming, of course, but even the internet is running out of room to cover these two.
