The Knockout That Wasn’t: Inside Sydney Sweeney’s Christy and Its $1.3 Million Opening Weekend
In Hollywood’s ruthless calculus, opening weekend numbers often determine a film’s legacy before the credits finish rolling. But Sydney Sweeney isn’t playing by those rules. Despite Christy—her latest transformative role as pioneering boxer Christy Martin—earning a modest $1.3 million across 2,000-plus theaters in its debut weekend, the 27-year-old actress remains defiantly proud of the project’s mission.
“If Christy gave even one woman the courage to take her first step toward safety, then we will have succeeded,” Sweeney declared on Instagram Monday, her words resonating with conviction. “So yes I’m proud. Why? Because we don’t always just make art for numbers, we make it for impact.”
It’s a stance that feels refreshingly countercultural in an industry obsessed with metrics and margins. The biopic chronicles Martin’s extraordinary journey—not just her groundbreaking career as a female boxer who shattered gender barriers in a brutally male-dominated sport, but her harrowing survival of a murder attempt by her trainer-husband. (Martin is now married to former competitor Lisa Holewyne, living authentically as an openly lesbian woman.)
For Sweeney, portraying Martin has been “one of the greatest honors” of her life, she shared on Instagram. The film’s core mission—raising awareness about domestic violence and its devastating toll—supersedes box office receipts in her estimation. It’s a perspective that challenges Hollywood’s bottom-line mentality, suggesting that cultural impact and societal change might be worthier measures of success than opening weekend tallies.
Yet the film’s reception underscores a persistent industry truth: boxing biopics, particularly those centered on real-life figures, struggle to connect with mainstream audiences. Sweeney’s 2024 has been paradoxically high-profile yet commercially challenged. While she’s maintained A-list visibility—often dominating headlines through advertising campaigns and controversies—her recent film projects haven’t translated buzz into box office gold. Eden and Americana preceded Christy in disappointing financially, despite Sweeney’s undeniable talent and growing cultural cachet.
The project hasn’t been without behind-the-scenes drama. Ruby Rose, the Orange Is the New Black alumna, revealed on Threads that she was initially attached to play supporting character Cherry in what she called an “incredible, life-changing” original script. Rose suggested the film’s lack of success stemmed from casting choices, noting that the original team—largely LGBTQ+ themselves—had authentic experience with the core material. Her comments ignited debate about representation and authenticity in queer storytelling.
Martin herself, however, has nothing but praise for Sweeney’s portrayal. Speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, the boxing legend acknowledged the duality Sweeney captured: “I am actually very shy, very reserved and want to help everyone that I possibly can. In the boxing world, I wanted to knock everybody out. So I have those two parts of my personality, and I also think that’s why Sydney Sweeney is doing such an awesome job because she got to be this totally different person that none of you expected.”
Perhaps that’s the ultimate victory—not the box office returns, but the transformation itself. Sweeney’s commitment to telling stories that matter, regardless of their commercial viability, positions her as more than just another starlet chasing franchises. In championing Christy, she’s throwing punches for substance over spectacle, impact over income. And in Hollywood’s current landscape, that might be the bravest fight of all.
