Another feature film with another A-lister is gearing up to film this fall in Charlotte. This time, it’s actress Sydney Sweeney as trailblazing female boxer Christy Martin.
Filming for the untitled biopic about the 56-year-old Martin, who lived in Charlotte for several years, is set for late September through November, according to Project Casting’s website. Bream & Doyle Casting agency is holding open casting calls through Sept. 9 for day-player roles including boxer, referee and announcer.
A separate agency is expected to handle extras casting. Crew positions also are available for the project, according to Charlotte Regional Film Commission’s website.
It’s the latest film to begin casting calls with a big-name actor.
The true-crime movie “Roofman,” starring Channing Tatum of “Magic Mike” fame and directed by “Blue Valentine” Oscar nominee Derek Cianfrance, also will be filmed around Charlotte from October through December, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.
That movie is about “Rooftop Robber” Jeffrey Manchester, who broke into McDonald’s restaurants across the U.S. by entering through the roofs until he was caught in 2000 in Gaston County.
About Sydney Sweeney
Sweeney, in the lead role as Martin, is known for the hit rom-com “Anyone But You” and horror flick “Immaculate,” in addition to starring in the HBO series “Euphoria” and “White Lotus.”
The new movie will follow the rise of Martin and the challenges she faced, according to trade publication Deadline. Martin was the most successful female boxer in the 1990s and the first woman boxer signed by promoter Don King.
Sweeney told Deadline that she grappled and kickboxed from age 12 to 19. “I’ve been itching to get back into the ring, train, and transform my body,” she told Deadline. “Christy’s story isn’t a light one, it’s physically and emotionally demanding, there’s a lot of weight to carry. But I love challenging myself.”
The film will be directed by David Michôd of “Animal Kingdom, “War Machine,” which starred Brad Pitt, and war drama “The King,’ with Timothee Chalamet.
His latest film is being produced by Black Bear, an independent studio. A Black Bear spokesperson was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.
About Christy Martin
Martin is a former women’s lightweight champion whose boxing career started at age 21 when she entered a Toughman Contest “on a whim,” according to her company website Christy Martin Promotions. She was offered a professional boxing bout.
Her record was 49-7-3 with 37 wins by knockout. She was inducted into six Halls of Fame, including the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Since retiring in 2012, Martin has run boxing promotion company and is founder of Christy’s Champs, a domestic abuse organization.
Martin lived in Charlotte for several years through at least 2020 and was a substitute teacher at Vance High School, according to a 2018 Charlotte Observer article.
The film is expected to follow her personal life too.
Martin lived with her husband, trainer and manager Jim Martin in Florida before she told him she was leaving in 2010 for a woman in Charlotte. He stabbed her six times and shot her, according to Austin Monthly. Covered in blood, she hitched a ride with a passing car and was released from the hospital a week later. Her husband is serving 25 years in prison.
The story was documented on the 48 Hours episode “The Fight of Her Life.”
In 2017, she married former ring rival and world champion boxer and Hall of Famer Lisa Holewyne. They now live in Austin, Texas, and central Florida, according to Austin Monthly.
Source Agencies
