• Film grossed only $1.3 million across 2,011 theaters nationwide
• Sweeney’s third consecutive 2025 release to debut below $2 million
• Box office struggles follow American Eagle jeans campaign controversy

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (TDR) — Sydney Sweeney’s boxing biopic “Christy” suffered a devastating opening weekend, grossing just $1.3 million across more than 2,000 theaters and ranking among the worst wide releases in box office history. The disappointing debut marks the actress’s third consecutive 2025 film to fail at the box office amid ongoing cultural controversies.

The film, distributed by Black Bear Pictures, opened in 2,011 theaters with a per-theater average of just $649, according to The Wrap. Box Office Mojo ranked “Christy” among the top 10 worst openings for a new release on more than 2,000 screens, with only three films below it being released during the coronavirus pandemic period.

Third straight box office disappointment

Sydney Sweeney, who gained major recognition from HBO’s “Euphoria” and scored a significant hit with 2023’s “Anyone But You,” has faced a brutal 2025 at theaters. Her earlier films “Eden,” directed by Ron Howard, opened to $1.05 million across 664 theaters, while neo-Western “Americana” earned approximately $500,000 from 1,100 theaters.

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In “Christy,” directed by David Michôd, Sweeney portrays Christy Martin, who became America’s most successful female boxer in the 1990s after signing with promoter Don King and appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The film chronicles Martin’s rise to fame and her 2010 survival of an attempted murder by her husband and trainer.

American Eagle controversy overshadows release

The actress’s recent press tour for “Christy” was overshadowed by continuing fallout from her American Eagle jeans campaign, which sparked national controversy earlier this year. The campaign’s tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” created a pun around “great genes” that critics accused of having eugenic implications and glorifying white heritage.

President Donald Trump publicly defended Sweeney after reports emerged that she registered as a Republican in Florida in June 2024. “Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the HOTTEST ad out there,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The White House called the backlash “cancel culture run amok.”

In a recent GQ magazine interview, Sweeney addressed the controversy, saying Trump’s involvement was “surreal” but that she largely ignored the furor while filming “Euphoria.” “I did a jean ad. I mean, the reaction definitely was a surprise, but I love jeans. All I wear are jeans,” she said.

Mixed reviews fail to draw audiences

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“Christy” currently holds a 66% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 132 reviews, with a 60 score on Metacritic. Critics praised Sweeney’s physical transformation for the role, noting she trained three hours daily and gained 35 pounds, but found the film followed standard biopic conventions.

The poor performance highlights ongoing challenges for adult-oriented dramas at the box office. “Christy” joins a growing list of star-driven independent films failing to translate critical attention into meaningful theatrical returns in the current landscape where audiences increasingly wait for streaming releases.

Sweeney will next appear in Lionsgate’s thriller “The Housemaid,” releasing in December, followed by the sequel to “The Devil Wears Prada” in May 2026.

Should political controversies surrounding actors affect their box office performance?

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