Plus-size model Ella Halikas offered her theory on why Sydney Sweeney's latest movie Christy tanked at the box office.
28-year-old Sydney played the role of the trailblazing Hall of Fame boxer, Christy Martin, in the biographical drama, but the film flopped hard with dismal numbers.
Ella claimed it was because Sydney was not “showing the ta-ta’s” onscreen.
Highlights
- Plus-size model Ella Halikas spoke about Sydney Sweeney‘s latest movie, 'Christy,' tanking at the box office
- In the movie, Sydney plays the role of the trailblazing real-life boxer Christy Martin.
- Ella claimed the movie flopped because the actress was not “showing the ta-ta’s” onscreen.
- Sydney also shared a message about the movie this week and insisted they don’t always make “art for numbers.”
Plus-size model Ella Halikas offered her theory on why Sydney Sweeney's latest movie Christy tanked at the box office
Image credits: Black Bear Pictures
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Ella Halikas believes Christy flopped at the box office because Sydney Sweeney steered away from her usual blonde bombshell roles.
She’s not doing her “usual half-n*ked kind of role,” the model told TMZ.
Ella spoke about how Sydney built her career and much of her public persona by playing sultry, hyper-feminine characters.
Hence, audiences may not have instantly connected with her performance as a battered, tough boxer, as per the body positive activist's theory.
Image credits: ellahalikas
“All I will say is that I think that she had branded herself, and people know of her, in a lot of her roles for showing skin, showing the ta ta's, feeling hot and beautiful,” Ella said.
“And I feel like when you're more covered, and you're not in that role, they're kind of like ‘We don't know what to make of it.’” she continued.
“People know of her, in a lot of her roles for showing skin, showing the ta ta's, feeling hot and beautiful,” Ella said
Image credits: sydney_sweeney
The model, who has starred in campaigns for JCPenney and Snapchat, said Sydney’s attempt at something different from her current brand may have affected ticket sales.
“I feel like she's almost branded herself to be this beautiful woman on screen where they're gonna see that body, so if they don't, and it's kind of a different role for her, I feel like maybe you miss the crowd or audience that way,” she said.
Image credits: ellahalikas
In Christy, Sydney played real-life boxing legend Christy Martin, who survived a homicide attempt by her former coach and husband.
Christy became the winner of the first women’s boxing pay-per-view main event in the 90s and was one of the first women to achieve mainstream fame in the male-dominated sport. She has since become a strong advocate for survivors of domestic violence.
The film was released in 2,011 theaters but grossed only $1.3 million
Image credits: Black Bear Pictures
Despite narrating the story of an inspiring character, Christy was not well-received at the box office.
The film was released in 2,011 theaters but grossed only $1.3 million. The per-theater average was a meager $649, according to The Wrap.
Moreover, the biopic ranked among the top 10 worst openings for a new release in more than 2,000 theaters in North America.
Image credits: sydney_sweeney
The film’s poor performance may also be tied to the lingering backlash from the American Eagle controversy surrounding Sydney.
The White Lotus alum starred in the brand’s recent jeans campaign with the tagline: “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.”
Sydney was seen buttoning up her jeans in one video and saying, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color… my genes are blue.”
Netizens called the campaign “racist” and “white suprem*cist” for the wordplay on “genes” and “jeans.”
After the movie tanked, the Euphoria star said acting in Christy was “one of the greatest honors of [her] life”
Image credits: Black Bear Pictures
Reports claimed Sydney's PR team has been focusing on “damage control” after Christy's box office performance.
A filmmaker who goes by @BrianLongFilms on X, shared an email he received from a talent agency about a post criticizing the film.
His meme showed an image of an unimpressed Sean Penn with the text: “White suprem*cists when they realize they have to watch white women in movies.”
In response to the meme, Brian received an email “on behalf of Sydney Sweeney and the Christy team.”
“Your derogatory tweet unfairly paints our film in a negative light, even though it has a 99% audience score on Popcorn Meter and strong rave reviews for Sydney’s performance,” read the email, according to a screenshot shared by Brian.
“It’s disappointing to see a genuine, original project reduced to such cheap shot online. We’d appreciate more balanced thought next time, especially towards original cinema,” the message continued.
Image credits: sydney_sweeney
Sydney recently spoke about Christy and said she was “deeply proud” of the movie, the story, and representing someone “as strong and resilient as Christy Martin.”
“This experience has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” she wrote in an Instagram post this week.
She also insisted they don’t always make “art for numbers,” saying this movie stands “for survival, courage, and hope.”
“Through our campaigns, we’ve helped raise awareness for so many affected by domestic violence. We all signed on to this film with the belief that Christy’s story could save lives,” she said.
The Euphoria star went on to thank people who saw the movie.
“If Christy gave even one woman the courage to take her first step toward safety, then we will have succeeded,” she said. “So yes, I’m proud. Why? Because we don’t always just make art for numbers, we make it for impact. And Christy has been the most impactful project of my life. Thank you Christy. I love you.”
Sydney insisted they don’t always make “art for numbers”
Ella Halikas’ recent comments about Sydney’s performance sparked a flurry of comments online.
“A vast majority of the public doesn’t watch women’s sports in real life. Why would they pay extra money to see it in a theater?” one asked.
Another said, “I thought they canceled her was why,” another wrote.
“Good actors make terrible movies all the time. It’s the nature of the game,” read one comment online
