The cast of The Iron Claw comes along with the addition of mindhunter and Creep show 2 star Holt McCallany. Per Deadline, McCallany has joined the cast of the A24 film that takes an inside look at the famed Von Erich family of professional wrestling. McCallany plays the pro-wrestler Fritz Von Erich, the patriarch of the Von Erich family, and the actors play his pro-wrestling sons, including Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, and Harris Dickinson.
Sean Durkin writes and directs The Iron Claw. A24 will produce the film with Tessa Ross, Derrin Schlesinger and Harrison Huffman. House Productions is developing the feature film with support from Access Entertainment and BBC Film.
The film’s name comes from the Von Erich family’s trademark that Fritz and his sons would supply to opponents in the ring. According to a description of the film, The Iron Claw follows “the rise and fall of the family dynasty of wrestlers who have had a huge impact on the sport from the 1960s to the present.” Tragically, Fritz Von Erich would lose five of his six sons before dying, most by suicide after struggling in the professional wrestling industry.
In recent years, McCallany had received much acclaim for his starring role in two seasons of Netflix’s mindhunter. The actor’s other recent work includes appearing in the movies wrath of man, the ice roadand nightmare alleyas well as the AMC series 61st street. McCallany will also star alongside Tom Cruise in the upcoming sequel Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two.
The Iron Claw tells the tragic true story
Zac Efron plays Kevin Von Erich, the only son of Fritz Von Erich who did not die in his youth. Jeremy Allen White stars as Kerry Von Erich, Kevin’s brother who achieved worldwide fame when he performed for the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) as the ‘Texas Tornado’. Kerry died by suicide in 1993 at the age of 33. Harris Dickinson also stars as David Von Erich, who shockingly and suddenly died of an illness in 1984 when he was just 25.
The first of Fritz Von Erich’s children, Jack Jr., died in a freak accident when he was just six years old in 1959. Two other siblings also died by suicide, with Mike Von Erich dying in 1987 at the age of 23. , followed by Chris Von Erich’s death in 1991, when he was 21 years old. The tragic true story of the Von Erichs, which was featured in an episode of the Vice series Dark side of the ringhas led some wrestling fans to suggest that the family was “cursed”.
The Iron Claw does not have a premiere date yet.