“Iron Claw” revolves around the Von Erich family, a professional wrestling dynasty that made its mark in the history of the fiercely competitive sport in the early 1980s. Based on a true story, his A24 drama features the Von Erich brothers Kevin (Zac Efron), David (Harris Dickinson), Kelly (Jeremy Allen White) and Mike (Stanley Simmons) . However, one brother, Chris von Erich, was omitted from the film entirely.
In a recent interview, Los Angeles Times, “Iron Crow” film director Sean Durkin cast the youngest Von Erich, who also had a wrestling career but struggled to match his brother’s success due to asthma and a brittle bone condition. I explained why I didn’t do it. He died by suicide in 1991 at the age of 21.
Durkin said of the version featuring all the brothers, “There was repetition, there was more tragedy that the movie couldn’t withstand.” “Honestly, I don’t know if that ever happened.”
The world of professional wrestling was plagued by a series of tragedies known as the “Von Erich Curse.” David died suddenly in 1984 at the age of 25, and Mike and Kelly committed suicide in 1987 and 1993 respectively. “Iron Crow” depicts these deaths through the eyes of Kevin, Von Erich’s only surviving brother.
Director Durkin said, “Chris was involved in the script for five years,” adding that removing Chris from the final version was an “impossible choice” and that he resisted for a while.
Durkin also decided not to contact Kevin until he had finished writing the script.
“When you’re trying to make a movie, at some point you have to separate it and say, ‘These are characters on the page, this is a movie, and you can’t fully capture life.’ It’s about the person inside,” Durkin explained. “When you try to find something true, representative, or emotional that reflects the core of the journey you’re trying to convey within this family, you have to make difficult choices.”
“Iron Crow” is currently in theaters.