Christy had a disappointing start at the box office. The film, whose marketing centered on showcasing Sydney Sweeney's performance and physical transformation, was released in 2,000 and reportedly made $1.3 million on its opening weekend, weak numbers for a film of its size. The box office reports prompted Sweeney to share a post on social media, sharing her pride in having been involved in the project. Ruby Rose shared her thoughts on Threads, putting the blame on the film's performance on Sweeney and sharing that she was once attached to the project.
"Christy" is based on the life of Christy Martin, a famous professional boxer credited with elevating the sport for women and putting it on the map. The film documents her rise in the sport, her struggles as a closeted gay woman, and her marriage to her manager and trainer, Jim Martin, who maintained control over her life and tried to kill her in 2010.
“The original Christy Martin script was incredible. Life changing. I was attached to play Cherry. Everyone had experience with the core material,” wrote Rose on Threads. “Most of us were actually gay. It’s part of why I stayed in acting. Losing roles happens all the time.”
“For her PR to talk about it flopping and saying SS did it for the ‘people.’ None of ‘the people’ want to see someone who hates them, parading around pretending to be us,” continued her statement, appearing to allude to Sweeney's politics.
“You’re a cretin and you ruined the film. Period. Christy deserved better.”
Sweeney's response to the film's box office performance
Following the movie's opening weekend, Sweeney took to Instagram to share her love for the film and for its director, David Michod. She also shared some behind-the-scenes photos of her time on set, her castmates, and Martin herself, who has accompanied her to different events over the past weeks.
"i am so deeply proud of this movie," she wrote. "Proud of the film david made. proud of the story we told. proud to represent someone as strong and resilient as Christy Martin. this experience has been one of the greatest honors of my life."
"If christy gave even one woman the courage to take her first step toward safety, then we will have succeeded," she continued. "so yes I’m proud. why? because we don’t always just make art for numbers, we make it for impact."
Sweeney has yet to address Rose's statement.