Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White grapple with tragedy and triumph as two of the Von Erich brothers in the first look at A24‘s wrestling drama The Iron Claw.
The trailer, released on Wednesday, explores how the real-life Erich wrestling empire was built — and brought to the deadly brink — by Jack Adkisson Sr., known professionally as Fritz Von Erich. Efron and White star as Kevin and Kerry, the oldest and middle Von Erich brothers and the favorites of their father.
Both, along with their then-living three siblings, attempt to endure the harsh, unrelenting demands of their influential father as they carry out his vision for the sport, as well as the domestic and international legacy of the pro-wrestling Texan who dominated in the ’60s.
During the more than two-minute trailer, the Von Erich brothers can be seen in and out of the ring, battling opponents and their own demons. “We’re here to restore justice to the Wrestling Federation that our father built with his own two hands,” a voice is heard saying, a reference the World Wide Wrestling Federation (eventually known as the WWE). “The hands that were passed down to us. The hands that will deliver the Iron Claw to you.”
It’s a sports dynasty that leaves no room for one’s own family and even less room for the physical and mental health of each brother, who battle illness, rage and more in the face of losses outside the ring.
“Ever since I was a child, people said my family was cursed,” Efron’s character can be heard saying. “Mom tried to protect us with God. Pop tried to protect us with wrestling. He said if we were the toughest, the strongest, nothing could ever hurt us. I believed it. We all did.”
Written and directed by Sean Durkin, The Iron Claw also stars Harris Dickinson, Stanley Simons and Maura Tierney, with Holt McCallany and Lily James.
The A24 film will hit theaters on Dec. 22.
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