Overview

• Sweeney gained more than 30 pounds and trained three times a day with boxing, weight work and nutrition guidance, relying on Chick‑fil‑A, Smucker’s and milkshakes to fuel the transformation.
• Director David Michôd called her fearless and “up for anything,” citing difficult, unglamorous sequences that included a prosthetic penis and a motel‑room grapple.
• The production emphasized authenticity in the ring, with Sweeney saying fighters traded real punches that left her bruised and occasionally concussed.
• Sweeney grew emotional onstage at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre beside Christy Martin, who praised the performance for capturing her tougher persona.
• Critics are divided on the film even as Sweeney’s turn draws awards chatter; the U.S. release is Nov. 7, with the UK and Ireland set for Nov. 28.