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

Black Bear has revealed a number of new cast members as David Michôd’s untitled, Sydney Sweeney-directed biopic of world boxing champion Christy Martin begins filming.

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

New additions to the production include Emmy nominee and Independent Spirit Award winner Ben Foster (Hell or high water), Emmy winner Merritt Wever (Sister Jackie), 2024 outbreak Katy O’Brian (Love lies bleeding, Twister), Ethan Embry (Sweet Home Alabama), Jess Gabor (Shameless) and Chad L. Coleman (The wire).

Sweeney was previously announced for the role of the famous boxer, with a script by Mirrah Foulkes and Michôd. Production began today in North Carolina.

A naturally gifted fighter, her life changed in 1989 when she met her manager and future husband, Jim Martin. She broke boundaries and was the first woman to sign with legendary 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 gained her a large fan base and made her the world welterweight champion. But behind the scenes, Martin struggled with substance abuse and a toxic relationship with her husband, who attacked her in their Florida home in 2010 and left her 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 Boots for Votiv, Sweeney for Fifty-Fifty Films and Teddy Schwarzman for Black Bear, which is also fully financed.

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 international rights, while UTA Independent Film Group, AC Independent (Anonymous Content’s sales and finance division) and Black Bear are jointly representing U.S. rights. This image marks the second collaboration between Sweeney and Black Bear, who recently collaborated on a horror vehicle Immaculate which was published 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, Finally, Goodell & Gellman. Embry is represented by Independent Artist Group, Mosaic and Mark Wetzstein. Gabor von Buchwald. Coleman is represented by TalentWorks and Vanguard Management Group.