Copyright Men's Journal
Sydney Sweeney’s new boxing drama Christy had a tough start at the box office, earning just $1.3 million in its opening weekend despite steady critical buzz. According to Box Office Mojo, Christy lands in the top 10 for worst box office openings among films released in at least 2000 theaters. The film was released at 2,011 theaters nationwide. Grossing $1.3 million during its opening weekend, the Sweeney-led film averaged just $649 per theater. Films with similar opening numbers include The Broken Hearts Gallery, which grossed $1,126,401 during its opening weekend in September 2020, Hitpig, which brought in $1,154,144 during its November 2024 opening, and The Empty Man, which grossed $1,310,326 in October 2020. It’s unclear what led to the dismal opening, as the film has scored a 67 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating as of publication. “Christy comes on strong, but in the end it winds up going down for the count,” one critic wrote in their review. “The sports drama, while a little saggy and repetitive, ends on a triumphant and inclusive note,” another wrote. Sweeny later took to social media to reflect on filming the sports drama. “I walked onto set everyday surrounded by a crew that poured their hearts and souls into this story,” she captioned a Saturday, November 8, Instagram post. “I fought alongside a group of women who became my family. We trained harder than we ever thought we could then would end up singing our hearts out on the ring floor. Christy Martin inspired all of us to step into our power. Her story made us fight harder for ourselves and for every woman who has ever been silenced. This film was painful, joyful, resilient, beautiful, it was everything. Thank you David for believing in me. i will never forget the way it changed me.” Sweeney stars as Christy Martin, who “never imagined life beyond her small-town roots in West Virginia—until she discovered a knack for punching people,” according to the film’s synopsis. The Anyone But You actress previously opened up about considering a career in sports after stepping into the ring for her latest role. “There was a moment in the middle of filming where I was like, ‘Should I give it all up and fight because I love this?'” she told SportsCasting. “Christy said she’d sign me up. So, this isn’t as hypothetical as you actually think it is. Yeah, I’d totally do a charity bout, that’d be so sick,” she continued, teasing that she already has an opponent in mind. “Nobody’s offered to get me into the ring,” she said. “I have gotten some interesting DMs from some boxers, though.”
