Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White are ready to step into the wrestling ring. The two actors are set to star in A24’s upcoming film The Iron Claw together, which follows the true story behind wrestler Kevin Von Erich, or the Golden Warrior, a member of the famed Von Erich wrestling dynasty.
Keep reading for details on the plot, release date and more.
What Is ‘The Iron Claw’ About?
The Iron Claw follows the true story of the famed Von Erich family, which included father Fritz Von Erich (played Holt McCallany), who was a three-time wrestling world champion, and his five wrestling sons. Zac is set to play Kevin Von Erich, Jeremy will star as Kerry Von Erich and Lily James stars as Kevin’s wife, Pam Adkisson.
The film explores the family members’ lives (and tragic deaths), depicting the rise and fall of the influential wrestling family.
In an interview with Nick Hausman (per Fightful) in June 2023, the real Kevin Von Erich explained that he wasn’t directly involved with the film, admitting that he had some concerns over how his family would be portrayed. However, those concerns were alleviated after he revealed that two of his sons, who are pro wrestlers themselves, traveled to the set to do stunt work for some of the wrestling scenes.
“My sons went down there and they did some stunt work for the wrestling part of it, but I have no idea what they’re gonna say. It turns out, [director] Sean Durkin called me and I got a feeling it’s going to be a really good movie,” he told the outlet. “These people are really pouring their hearts into this, they really want to do a good work. If you try that hard, I really think you’re gonna do alright. I can’t wait to see it, I think it’s going to be a good movie.”
When Will ‘The Iron Claw’ Be Released?
The Iron Claw hit theatres on December 22, 2023. Get ready to see the bulked up wrestling bodies of Zac and Jeremy in the wrestling ring.
And while Zac obviously hit the gym for the upcoming role, he revealed that he would never do the same harmful physical training he did to prepare for 2017’s movie Baywatch. During an interview with Men’s Health, the actor explained his past routine that included diuretics, overtraining and eating the same three meals every day.
“I started to develop insomnia, and I fell into a pretty bad depression, for a long time,” he revealed. “Something about that experience burned me out. I had a really hard time recentering.”
Even though Zac continues to push himself in the gym, he now embraces “mindful” training — things like foam-rolling, self-massaging and ice-bathing, which he says is his “favorite part of the day.”
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