— The biopic Christy, which dramatizes boxer Christy Martin’s rise, opened domestically to just $1.3 million. In the aftermath, actor Ruby Rose publicly criticized lead actress Sydney Sweeney on social media, saying the casting and final film fell short of expectations. Sweeney responded by calling the project personally meaningful and defending its impact beyond ticket receipts. The exchange has intensified discussion about casting, politics and audience response around a high-profile queer sports drama.
Key Takeaways
- Christy, a biopic about boxer Christy Martin, grossed $1.3 million in its U.S. opening weekend (domestic box office).
- Ruby Rose posted on Threads that the original script was transformative and expressed frustration after losing a role; she criticized the casting and the finished film.
- Sydney Sweeney, who stars as Martin, wrote on Instagram that the movie was the most impactful project of her life and urged a focus on artistic impact rather than box-office figures.
- Tension around Sweeney intensified after a controversial American Eagle ad and reports tying her voter registration to Florida and the Republican party—reports noted in coverage but not definitively addressed by Sweeney.
- Industry observers say a mix of factors — marketing, exhibition trends, cultural debates and star perception — likely influenced the modest opening rather than a single cause.
Background
Christy tells the story of Christy Martin, a pioneering boxer who rose to prominence and helped elevate women’s professional boxing. The film portrays Martin’s career, her struggles with an abusive relationship, and the complexities of being a closeted athlete in a male-dominated sport. Biopics about contemporary or controversial figures often depend heavily on casting reception and community buy-in, and this project carried particular weight for LGBTQ+ audiences.
Ruby Rose was originally attached to the production in a supporting role and has long been a visible figure in queer representation in genre television. In Hollywood, casting changes and recasting happen frequently; when they occur on high-profile projects tied to underrepresented communities, however, they sometimes spark sharper public debate. The conversation around Christy also arrived amid an already polarized public view of its star, Sydney Sweeney, following commercial endorsements and media items that drew attention to her public persona.
Main Event
The film opened domestically on the weekend of November 12, 2025, with a reported $1.3 million in ticket sales. That tally placed Christy well below typical openings for studio-backed biopics with mainstream marketing pushes. In an immediate social-media reaction, Ruby Rose wrote that they had been attached to play the character Cherry and described having deep familiarity with the material prior to the project’s production.
Rose’s post on Threads called the original script life-changing and said losing the role was part of an industry reality, but she singled out the current casting and the final film for criticism. In blunt language she accused the lead of damaging the project and said the movie deserved different representation. The message quickly circulated across entertainment and political social feeds.
Sydney Sweeney posted an Instagram message the same day celebrating the film’s personal importance and the impact she said it has had on viewers. She framed the project as art whose worth cannot be reduced to opening-week numbers and shared imagery from the film that emphasized Christy Martin’s grit and resilience in the ring. Sweeney has otherwise declined to make extended public statements about her political views.
Analysis & Implications
Box-office performance is rarely attributable to a single variable. While vocal disagreement from a former cast member drew headlines, other factors matter: marketing reach, exhibition availability, critical reception, competing releases and audience tastes. A polarized public conversation about a lead actor can erode some audiences’ interest, but it does not uniformly explain low turnout in every market segment.
For community-focused films, authenticity and perceived stewardship of the source material often affect word-of-mouth, especially among the communities depicted. Claims that a casting choice alienated a key audience deserve scrutiny, but causation is difficult to prove without granular audience data, exit polling and marketing analytics. Studios typically analyze demographics, theater counts and per-screen averages to determine the full story.
Politically inflected responses to performers have become a significant factor in U.S. culture industries. When an actor’s public image is tied to contested political symbolism, some potential viewers may opt out while others may be motivated to see the film. That dynamic creates a narrower margin for projects relying on cross-demographic appeal. For Christy, the intersection of queer storytelling, sports fandom and celebrity controversy made the film particularly sensitive to perception shifts.
Comparison & Data
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Domestic opening weekend | $1.3 million |
| Reported opening date | November 12, 2025 |
The raw opening number is the concrete data point available publicly. Interpreting that figure requires context — production budget, theater count and marketing spend — which have not been disclosed in full in public reporting. Without those inputs, comparisons to typical biopic performances are suggestive rather than definitive.
Reactions & Quotes
Rose wrote that an earlier version of the script changed her life and expressed sharp disappointment at how the film turned out after she left the project.
Ruby Rose (Threads, reported)
Sweeney said the movie has been deeply meaningful to her and urged people to consider impact beyond box-office totals.
Sydney Sweeney (Instagram, reported)
Unconfirmed
- Whether Sydney Sweeney’s public image directly caused Christy’s weak opening; no public studio analysis has proven causation.
- Ruby Rose’s claim that the “original Christy script” differed substantially from the released film has not been independently verified with the production team.
- Reports tying Sweeney’s voter registration and political support to audience behavior are reported but not definitively linked to box-office outcomes.
Bottom Line
Christy’s $1.3 million domestic opening is a clear, verifiable outcome; the broader reasons behind the low tally remain multifaceted and contested. Public disputes between artists, especially on social media, amplify narratives that can shape press coverage but do not substitute for the analytic work studios and distributors use to assess performance.
For industry observers and community members alike, the episode highlights tensions around representation, celebrity politics and the economics of mid-budget adult dramas. The film’s longer-term impact will depend on critical response, streaming windows, and whether the project finds an engaged audience beyond opening weekend.
Sources
- Los Angeles Times (news report summarizing social-media posts and box-office results)
- Box Office Mojo (box-office data and industry tracking)