A Wrestling Dynasty: Zac Efron To Star In Film About WWE Superstars The Von Erich Family

Zac Efron was tapped to star in a film about the famous Von Erichs wrestling family for a project produced by studio A24. 

According to "Deadline," Efron will star in “The Iron Claw” in a role that’s yet to be announced. While much about the film is under wraps, we do know it will tackle the rise and fall of the Von Erich family, who dominated the sport of wrestling for generations. 

The film is named after the finishing move pioneered by Fritz Von Erich, the family patriarch who first burst onto the scene in the 1960s and continued his professional career into the 1970s. According to the WWE’s website, Fritz eventually wound down his career in the ring but continued with professional wrestling as a promoter. He took on the Dallas-based Big Time Wrestling and converted it to World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), which eventually became one of the most popular in sports entertainment. 

The WCCW is responsible for respected and legendary names who eventually made their way to the WWE such as The Fabulous Freebirds, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, manager Paul Bearer, and the legendary Shawn Michaels. It also provided a home for Fritz’s sons, Kevin, David, and Kerry. Years later, Kerry would become a WWE Superstar as well as another generation of Von Erics, Mike and Chris. 

In 2009, they were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a whole family. Sadly, Fritz died in 1997, and David, Kerry, Mike, and Chris are also no longer with us. 

“The Iron Claw” will be written and directed by Sean Durkin (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”) with A24, Tessa Ross, Derrin Schlesinger, and Harrison Huffman producing. The film does not yet have an official release date.