Posted in: A24, Movies | Tagged: a24, The Iron Claw, The Von Erich Family

The Iron Claw Gets A December Release Date From A24

A24 has given a prime release date to Von Erich family biopic The Iron Claw. It will release the film on December 22nd.

Published Sat, 29 Jul 2023 07:17:06 -0500

The Iron Claw is getting a prestige release date from A24, as the tragic story of one of professional wrestling's most storied families gets the big screen treatment. Written and directed by Sean Durkin, it stars Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich, Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich, Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich, Holt McCallany as Fritz Von Erich, Maura Tierney as Doris, and Lily James as Pam. This has a shot to be a big-time Oscar hopeful, and the December 22nd release date shows how much A24 believes in the film. Below is the only officially released anything from the movie so far, an image of Efron as Kevin Von Erich. Hopefully, we get a trailer soon.

The Iron Claw Gets A December Release Date From A24 — Credit A24

The Iron Claw Will Be A Tragic Tale, Almost A Horror Film

"The Von Erich family is an American professional wrestling family. Originally from Texas, their actual surname is Adkisson, but every member who has been in the wrestling business has used the ring name "Von Erich," after the family patriarch, Fritz Von Erich (Jack Adkisson). Jack took on the name as part of his wrestling gimmick, i.e., in-ring persona, as he initially portrayed a villainous (heel in wrestling terminology) German Nazi, hence using a German-sounding name. Their most famous move was The Iron Claw, which protected in the industry for years. When Fritz died of cancer in his Denton County home in 1997 at 68, five of his six sons predeceased him. His firstborn, Jack Jr., was accidentally shocked and drowned in a puddle at the age of 6 in 1959 outside his Niagara Falls home. In 1984, David Von Erich died in a Tokyo hotel from enteritis at the age of 25. Mike, Chris, and Kerry all committed suicide; Mike took an overdose of Placidyl near Lewisville Lake in 1987 at the age of 23, Chris shot himself in the head with a 9mm handgun in 1991 at the age of 21, and Kerry shot himself in the chest in the family yard in 1993 at the age of 33. Kevin Von Erich is the last surviving son."

There was nothing bigger in wrestling than The Von Erichs in the southern United States back in the day, and their tale has been ripe for Hollywood to tell for ages. I am surprised it took this long. This is one of my personal most anticipated films of 2023, and knowing how much A24 believes in it is exciting.

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