Ben Foster and Merritt Wever join Sydney Sweeney in the Christy Martin biopic

Black Bear has unveiled a series of cast additions for David Michôd’s untitled, Sydney Sweeney-led biopic about boxing champion Christy Martin, as filming begins.

The film tells the true story of Martin, who rose to fame in the 1990s as America’s most successful female boxer, while dealing with personal demons and toxic relationships behind the scenes.

Newcomers to the production include Emmy nominee and Independent Spirit Award winner Ben Foster (Come hell or high water), Emmy winner Merritt Wever (Nurse Jackie), 2024 breakout Katy O’Brian (Love lies bleeding, Twisters), Ethan Embry (Sweet Home Alabama), Jess Gabor (Shameless), and Chad L. Coleman (The wire).

Sweeney was previously announced as the famous boxer, with a script written by Mirrah Foulkes and Michôd. Production started today in North Carolina.

A naturally gifted fighter, Christy’s life changed in 1989 when she met her manager and later husband Jim Martin. She broke boundaries to become the first woman signed with iconic promoter Don King, and the only female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Her charisma, good looks and unwavering resilience in the ring earned her a wide fan base and encouraged her to become welterweight champion. But behind the scenes, Martin was dealing with substance abuse and a toxic relationship with her husband, who attacked her in their Florida home in 2010 and left her for dead on the bedroom floor.

The untitled project is 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, which 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 handles international rights, while UTA Independent Film Group, AC Independent (the sales and finance division of Anonymous Content) and Black Bear co-own U.S. rights. This photo marks the second collaboration between Sweeney and Black Bear, who recently collaborated on horror vehicles Spotless which was released by Neon.

Foster is represented by Range Media Partners and Felker Toczek Suddleson McGinnis Ryan LLP. Wever is represented by Innovative Artists, Viking Entertainment and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner Auerbach Hynick Jaime LeVine Sample & Klein.

O’Brian is repped by Gersh Agency, Luber Roklin Entertainment, RCM Talent & Management, and Yorn, Levine, Barnes, Krintzman, Rubenstein, Kohner, Endlich, Goodell & Gellman. Embry is represented by Independent Artist Group, Mosaic and Mark Wetzstein. Gabor van Buchwald. Coleman is represented by TalentWorks and Vanguard Management Group.