The Von Erich name is one most Texans instantly recognize. The family's iconic legacy is one that is known throughout the wrestling community, and A24 will be bringing that legacy to the big screen.
The Iron Claw will showcase the family's rise and tragic fall. KHOU 11 reports that the film is being written and directed by Sean Durkin, best known for Martha Marcy May Marlene. Jeremy Allen White, from Shameless and The Bear, is set to play Kerry Von Erich, and Zac Efron has been cast as Kevin Von Erich. Harris Dickinson will be playing the third brother David Von Erich. Fritz Von Erich, the patriarch of the family, has not yet been cast.
The well-known family quickly rose to fame from their wrestling glory and Kerry eventually won the NWA World Championship. The last surviving brother, Kevin, attended the 2009 ceremony for the Von Erichs' induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.
As Deadline reports, the film will tell the story of the wrestling family and show the impact they made on the world of wrestling since the 1960s. But things for the family quickly went downhill. The tragedy that struck the family began when Fritz’s first son Jack Adkisson, Jr. was electrocuted and left unconscious by an exposed wire and drowned in a puddle. David Von Erich also died an early death at 25 in Tokyo. There are several contradicting reports as to what led to his death, but it was confirmed by the U.S. Embassy that the brother died of enteritis. Kerry, Mike and Chris Von Erich all died by suicide within a 6-year period.
The film was financed and produced by A24, which has a history of great films such as Uncut Gems and Midsommer and is sure to bring drama to the Kennedy-esque curse of Texas’s most famous wrestling dynasty.
