DALLAS — "The Iron Claw," the upcoming biopic depicting the tragic rise and fall of the Von Erichs, who were pro wrestling superstars in the '80s in North Texas, finally has a release date.
Starring Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickson as Kevin, Kerry and David Von Erich, respectively, the A24-produced film will be released in theaters on Dec. 22, the production company announced Thursday. Sean Durkin, who previously directed "Martha Marcy May Marlene" is directing the film.
The film will follow the rise and fall of the Von Erichs and their influence on wrestling from the '60s through to the present day. The three brothers' father, Fritz Von Erich, promoted World Class Championship Wrestling, which ran shows in North Texas on a weekly basis for decades, often out of the Dallas Sportatorium, with its biggest annual shows being held at Texas Stadium.
A wave of tragedy followed the fame and success of the Von Erichs. It began when Fritz's first son, Jack Adkisson Jr., died at the age of 6 after being shocked unconscious by an exposed wire and drowning in a puddle.
His later sons – Kevin, David, and Kerry – would become the three most well-known of the Von Erich sons, with Kerry even winning the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Ric Flair at one time.
But two of them would see early deaths.
David died at 25 in 1984 while wrestling in Tokyo. There are conflicting reports on what caused the death but the U.S. Embassy's death report states he died of acute enteritis.
Kerry would later die, as well, in 1993 after shooting himself on his father's ranch in Van Zandt County. His suicide came after two other Von Erich children's suicides – Mike Von Erich, who took a fatal dose of tranquilizers in 1987, and Chris Von Erich, who shot himself in the head in 1991.
Kevin is the sole surviving son of Fritz Von Erich and has two sons of his own, who are wrestlers themselves to this day. His sons, Marshall and Ross Von Erich, both wrestle in Major League Wrestling, where they are former tag team champions. The youngest Von Erichs recently announced that they, along with their father, would be moving back to Texas, after living in Hawaii for years.
Kevin Von Erich will also be hosting a one-man show on Sept. 1 at the Majestic Theatre, his first public appearance in Dallas in more than 20 years.