“The Iron Claw” is a biographical sports drama starring Zac Efron that is garnering raves by critics and the audience.
Let’s find out some trivia and facts about the film.
- The Iron Claw is a 2023 biographical sports drama film written and directed by Sean Durkin
- It is based on the life of professional wrestler Kevin Von Erich and the Von Erich family
- In the film stars Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany, and Lily James
- The Iron Claw premiered at the Texas Theatre in Dallas on November 8, 2023
- It was released in the United States by A24 on December 22, 2023
- It is scheduled to be released by Lionsgate UK in the United Kingdom on February 9, 2024
- The film received positive reviews from critics
- It was named one of the top 10 films of 2023 by the National Board of Review
- Durkin had a long-term aspiration to create a film based on the Von Erich family
- He was a fan of professional wrestling during his youth and he was personally saddened by the string of Von Erich family deaths
- In 2015 he began research for the film’s initial screenplay
- Chris Von Erich, the youngest member of the family, was not included in the screenplay because, as Durkin described, the script couldn’t withstand one more tragedy
- Chris died by suicide in 1991, a year and a half prior to Kerry Von Erich
- He was the fourth family death (after Jack Jr., David, and Mike)
- In June 2022, the film was announced to star Efron and to be produced and distributed by A24
- Later, it was also developed by House Productions, with the support of Access Entertainment and BBC Film
- In September, White and Dickinson were announced as joining the project to portray the Von Erich brothers, alongside Efron
- One month later, McCallany and James were cast, and Juliette Howell, Angus Lamont, Maura Tierney, Tessa Ross, Derrin Schlesinger, and Harrison Huffman were confirmed as producers
- In November, Friedman was cast and was later credited as an executive producer
- Principal photography began in Baton Rouge, in October 2022
- It lasted six weeks
- Instead of filming the wrestling scenes in multiple edited sequences, however, the cast performed full-length, one-take wrestling matches, in front of a live audience, which was held in a furniture store that was converted to appear as the Dallas Sportatorium
- Chavo Guerrero, who portrays The Sheik, also acted as the film’s primary wrestling consultant
- Guerrero also spoke to the cast about premature deaths in professional wrestling, including that of his uncle, Eddie Guerrero
- The film received special dispensation from SAG-AFTRA, to continue production and promotion during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike
- This was due to the acceptance of certain conditions and stemming from A24’s positive relationship with the union
- Richard Reed Parry of Arcade Fire composed the film’s score
- In the United States and Canada, The Iron Claw was released alongside Migration, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and Anyone but You
- It was projected to gross around $6 million from 2,774 theaters in its four-day opening weekend
- The film made $2.5 million on its first day, including $640,000 from Thursday night previews
- It went on to debut to $4.9 million, finishing sixth at the box office
- In its second weekend the film made $5 million
- Finishing seventh at the box office
- On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 88% rating
- Based on 171 critics’ reviews are positive
- With an average rating of 7.7/10
- The website’s consensus reads: “Powerfully acted and profoundly sad, The Iron Claw honors its fact-based story with a dramatization whose compassionate exploration of family ties is just as hard-hitting as its action in the wrestling ring”
- Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 74 out of 100
- Based on 40 critics
- Indicating “generally favorable” reviews
- Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “A–” on an A+ to F scale
- The best ever for an A24 title
- While PostTrak reported 91% of filmgoers gave it positive score
- With 72% saying they would definitely recommend the film
- In October 2023, Marshall Von Erich praised Guerrero’s role as a wrestling consultant
- Highlighting the accuracy of the film’s wrestling sequences and complimented Efron’s performance
- Kevin Von Erich also positively highlighted Guerrero’s contributions, stating, “He did a great job, pushing [the cast] and getting them ready. It is a lot more difficult than it looks, and they did so well”
- Von Erich met Efron, and he endorsed his portrayal and the overall film
- Efron, later, stated was “the most important review”
- Von Erich stated he believed the film accurately portrays his late father, Fritz
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