Black Bear has announced that Emmy nominee and Independent Spirit Award winner Ben Foster (Hell or High Water, The Survivor), Emmy winner Merritt Wever (“Nurse Jackie,” “Unbelievable”), 2024 breakout 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 boarded the upcoming Sydney Sweeney-led feature about Christy Martin from director David Michôd. Sweeney was previously announced to star as the renowned boxer, with a script written by Mirrah Foulkes and Michôd. Production commenced today in North Carolina.
The untitled project is being 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 is handling the international rights, while UTA Independent Film Group, AC Independent (Anonymous Content’s sales and finance division), and Black Bear are co-representing U.S. rights. This picture marks the second collaboration between Sweeney and Black Bear, who recently partnered on horror vehicle Immaculate which was released by NEON.
The 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.
