“We don’t always just make art for numbers”: Sydney Sweeney on Christy and creating work that inspires change

Christy (2025), which was released in theatres on November 7, 2025, is a sports biopic based on American boxer Christy Martin, directed by David Michǒd. 

The biopic focuses on the boxer who made the sport become mainstream in the 90s, and it also deals with how she had been on the receiving end of a lot of emotional and domestic abuse from her husband, James V. Martin.

The titular character of the movie is played by actress Sydney Sweeney. 

Its storyline revolves around the ups and downs as Christy realizes that her internalized misogyny was one of the major reasons why she seemed to be unable to break free of the patriarchal structures in society, the movie flopped at the box office.

On its opening Friday, November 7, the movie made only $600,000 despite being released in more than 2000+ theatres worldwide.

Despite its low profit numbers, Sydney Sweeney came to the defense of the movie and spoke about how this movie had been the most impactful project of her life, and they did not make art just for the numbers.

"We don't always just make art for numbers, we make it for impact.”

Details explored on Sydney Sweeney’s new movie, Christy, and her defense regarding the film’s low profit

Director David Michǒd’s Christy (2025) is a biopic based on the American female boxer, Christy Martin, who was the first person to make the sport matter in the 1990s.

The film, which has Sydney Sweeney playing the titular character of Christy, focuses on what it means to be a female boxer in a patriarchal society and how Christy was also on the receiving end of a lot of violence and abuse from her husband, James V. Martin, who was first her manager and then became her partner.

James, played by Ben Foster, is the antagonist of the movie, grooms Christy, and ends up exploiting her due to their massive age gap.

The movie focuses on Christy’s internalized homophobia and the misogyny that was so ingrained in her that she was unable to fight back for a long time.

Despite the movie’s interesting plot and storyline, it failed to become a hit at the box office, despite being released in more than 2000 theatres worldwide.

On its opening Friday, the movie only made $600,000, and Box Office Mojo reported that it only amassed close to $3 million during its opening weekend, which is much less than the expected profit.

However, despite its bad numbers, Sydney Sweeney spoke about how the film means something completely different to her.

Sweeney also spoke about how one of the major motives behind the film was to help scared women who face abuse daily to come out and speak up for themselves. She said:

“If Christy gave even one woman the courage to take her first step toward safety, then we will have succeeded. So yes,  I'm proud. Why? Because we don't always just make art for numbers, we make it for impact. and Christy has been the most impactful project of my life”. 

Christy (2025) showcases how Christy Martin, who watered herself down into an obedient housewife, soon realized that it would be impossible for her to leave boxing. 

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