Emmy nominee Ben Foster (“Hell or High Water,” “The Survivor”), Emmy winner Merritt Wever (“Nurse Jackie,” “Unbelievable”), Katy O’Brian (“Love Lies Bleeding,” “Twisters”) , Ethan Embry (“Sweet Home Alabama,” “Grace and Frankie”), Jess Gabor (“Shameless,” “Three Women”) and Chad L. Coleman (“The Wire,” “The Walking Dead”) have joined the cast of the upcoming Sydney Sweeney-led feature film about boxer Christy Martin.

Martin is best known as the most successful female boxer of the 1990s. She became a welterweight champion and is the only female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated to date. She was physically abused by her husband Jim Martin, who was also her boxing coach and manager, who was later charged with attempted manslaughter with a firearm and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Christy’s life was previously shown on screen in the episode ‘Deal with the Devil’ of the anthology documentary series ‘Untold’.

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The untitled film is directed by David Michôd, with a script written by Mirrah Foulkes and Michôd. Production began Monday in North Carolina.

The film is produced by Kerry Kohansky-Roberts for Anonymous Content, David Michôd for Yoki, Inc., Justin Lothrop and Brent Stiefel for Votiv, Sweeney for Fifty-Fifty Films and Teddy Schwarzman for Black Bear, who also provided all financing takes. Executive producers include Michael Heimler and John Friedberg for Black Bear, Foulkes, Brad Zimmerman for Yoki, Inc., David Levine, Ryan Schwartz and Nick Shumaker for Anonymous Content, and Harrison Huffman.

Black Bear will handle international rights to the film, while UTA Independent Film Group, AC Independent (Anonymous Content’s sales and finance division) and Black Bear will co-own U.S. rights. This project marks the second collaboration between Sweeney and Black Bear, who recently collaborated on ‘Immaculate’.

This film tells “the incredible true story of the formidable Christy Martin, who rose to fame in the 1990s as America’s most successful female boxer. A naturally gifted fighter, Christy’s life changed in 1989 when she met her manager and later husband Jim Martin. She broke boundaries to become the first woman signed with iconic promoter Don King, and the only female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Christy’s charisma, good looks and unwavering resilience in the ring earned her a wide fan base and propelled her to become a welterweight champion. Behind this well-developed public persona, Christy has dealt with personal demons, toxic relationships and an attempt on her life, proving that a fighter’s toughest victories don’t always come in the ring,” the film’s logline reads.

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