Zac Efron Stars in New Wrestling Biopic The Iron Claw
Zac Efron will play Kevin Von Erich in the new biographical film The Iron Claw, depicting the rise and fall of the famous wrestling family, the Von Erichs.
In a recent tweet, production company A24 announced its upcoming film, The Iron Claw, starring Zac Efron as the iconic wrestler Kevin Von Erick. Based on a true story, the biopic will focus on the Von Erich family, a dynasty of wrestlers that made a massive impression on the sport from the 1960s to the present day. Jeremy Allen White (Shameless) will take on the role of Kerry Von Erich, and Harris Dickinson (The King’s Man) will portray David Von Erich. Pro wrestler Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Lily James (Pam & Tommy) will also star in the film.
Introducing The Golden Warrior himself. Zac Efron is Kevin Von Erich in #TheIronClaw pic.twitter.com/GliSBCePO5
— A24 (@A24) November 7, 2022
Zac Efron posted a “first look” of the film on Instagram with the caption, “First Look at my latest project Iron Claw! Can’t wait to show you more…let’s go @a24.”
Efron began his acting career with the Disney Channel Original Movie trilogy High School Musical, where he starred as the basketball-playing singer Troy Bolton. However, his musical days weren’t over, as he danced his way into the Oscar-award-winning film, The Greatest Showman, in 2017 and the movie adaptation of the musical, Hairspray, in 2007. In addition, Efron has proved he won’t be typecast, taking on more serious roles such as serial killer Ted Bundy in the Netflix true-crime film, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile. Other films Efron has starred in include 17 Again, Neighbors, Baywatch, and Gold. Wrestling will be a brand new endeavor for the actor.
Lily and Zac Efron filming A24 “The Iron Claw” in Louisiana recently 📸 pic.twitter.com/H3K5YWSDvb
— best of lily james (@badpostslily) November 1, 2022
The High School Musical star is no stranger to bulking up for a movie role. In an interview with Men’s Health in early September, he spoke about the new approach he took to build his wrestler physique and how it differed from the training he did for his role in Baywatch. During training for Baywatch, Zac explained that he developed insomnia and depression. As a result, he would overtrain and eat the same three meals a day. It wasn’t until after wrapping up the movie that Efron started his fitness journey in a healthier way.
In a recent TMZ interview, Keith Von Erich, the wrestler Zac Efron will be portraying in the film, praised Efron on his body transformation, stating, “I didn’t ever look that good. He looked great, though. He must be working really hard.” Erich further explained how hard it is to pull off a body transformation so extreme and how time-consuming it can be.
Zac Efron reveals his ripped wrestler frame in tight T-shirt as he continues filming The Iron Claw https://t.co/NLs1POAp5f
— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) November 8, 2022
The Iron Claw started filming in Louisiana in October 2022 and is set to be released sometime in 2023. Although little is known about the film, we can’t wait to see what is to come. Follow Zac and A24 to get more updates on this upcoming film.
