‘The Iron Claw’: New Image Reveals First Look at the Von Erich Wrestling Family!! Check It Out!!

A24‘s wrestling biopic The Iron Claw has set its wide-release date. The tragic tale of the Von Erich wrestling family, starring Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White, will hit theaters on December 22, 2023, Variety reports, which will put the sports drama in a crowded holiday marketplace with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the musical adaptation of The Color Purple, and Michael Mann‘s Ferrari.

The film will star Efron as Kevin Von Erich, with White as his brother Kerry; the film will also star Harris Dickinson as their brother David, Holt McCallany as their father Fritz, Maura Tierney as their mother Doris, and Lily James as Kevin’s wife Pam. A24 has also released a new image from the film, showing the Von Erich brothers hanging out on the family ranch; the actors all had to get into pro wrestling shape for the film, and their efforts clearly paid off.

Who Are the Von Erichs?

Pro wrestler Jack Adkisson took on the name “Fritz Von Erich” as part of his wrestling character, a villainous German heel. Famed for his athleticism and his “Iron Claw” hold, he became a star both in his home state of Texas and overseas, in Japan. His sons entered the wrestling business as they grew up, and the family became the face of pro wrestling in Texas in the ’70s and ’80s. However, misfortune continually befell the family, leading some to talk of a so-called “Von Erich curse”. One son died at the age of six in an electrocution accident, while David Von Erich died while wrestling in Japan in 1984. His brothers Mike, Kerry, and Chris died by suicide in the years that followed, and Fritz, the patriarch, died of brain cancer in 1997. Kevin Von Erich is the last surviving Von Erich brother; his story has been featured on both ESPN‘s 30 for 30 documentaries and Vice‘s Dark Side of the Ring series. He and his family were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.

iron-claw-social-featured — Image via A24

The Iron Claw was directed by Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene). A24 financed and produced the film, and it is co-financed by Access Entertainment and BBC Film. Producing the film are Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Angus Lamont from House Productions, Durkin and A24. Derrin Schlesinger and Harrison Huffman from House Productions, Len Blavatnik and Danny Cohen from Access Entertainment and Eva Yates from BBC Film will executive produce.