Sydney Sweeney's 'Christy' Suffers Opening Weekend Knock Down After Grossing Only $1.3 Million

Sydney Sweeney's latest film Christy had its theatrical release this past weekend and unfortunately did not land a powerful punch.

The inspirational feature based on the life and career of American female boxing star Christy Martin, played by Sweeney, grossed £988,780 ($1.3 million) in its opening weekend. According to Box Office Mojo, it ranks in the top 10 worst openings for a new release in more than 2,000 theatres.

It is the first film distributed in the US by production studio Black Bear Pictures, which began dabbling in film distribution in 2023.

Drawing 'The Smashing Machine' Comparisons

Sweeney wasn't the only Hollywood A-lister to take a jab at a starring role about a professional fighter's life. Last month, Dwayne Johnson's The Smashing Machine hit theatres, which became his worst film in terms of profit.

Johnson's co-produced film about mixed martial artist Mark Kerr only managed to rake in over £2 million ($2.7 million) in its opening weekend, just over a million above Sweeney's.

Both films also received similar critic feedback. The Smashing Machine is rated at 70 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, mostly praising Johnson's performance, while Christy currently has a favourable but not exceptional 66 per cent, also complimenting Sweeney's acting chops.

American Eagle Ad Continues to Haunt Her

While her acting wasn't an issue, the Euphoria star's press tour for the film may have drawn attention away from it.

In her interview with GQ published last Tuesday, Sweeney talked extensively about Christy but instead got more reactions from her brief comment about her controversial jeans ad for American Eagle on social media.

She noticeably avoided questions about the ad throughout the tour, but unfortunately, it was the only thing people cared about.

The advertisement that came out in July drew the ire of many, accusing it of having pro-eugenic undertones. Sweeney told GQ that she thought the White House's defence of it was 'surreal' and she mostly ignored people's reactions online because she was filming season three of Euphoria and didn't have her phone.

Oscar Buzz May Save It from Being a Flop

While it isn't a commercial success so far, Sweeney's latest film may still bounce back if her performance can convince moviegoers to watch Christy.

Critics are already applauding it, surrounding her with Oscar buzz. The actress may have a shot at her first nomination if the Academy deems her portrayal worthy.

She did give her best not just to play the part but look it as well, gaining 35 pounds and suffering a bloody nose and concussion while filming the boxing drama.

'When you watch all those fights, we're actually hitting each other. We were knocking each other out, we were getting bloody noses. I got (a) concussion. We were actually fighting,' she told the Daily Mail.

Sweeney's Hits and Misses

The 28-year-old has had her fair share of success and flops in her filmography. In 2024, her horror film Immaculate grossed £26.7 million ($35.2 million) worldwide while her superhero flick Madame Web co-starring Dakota Johnson only earned £76 million ($100 million) worldwide.

While Christy may prove that Sweeney is the real thing in terms of acting, its opening weekend earnings shows that turning a film into a blockbuster is a whole different story.