A24
Sean Durkin, director of the acclaimed new film The Iron Claw, has spoken out about the decision to remove Chris Von Erich, the fifth Von Erich brother, from the narrative of the film.
According to Durkin, it would’ve been hard to get the movie made had Chris been involved given the “repetitive” nature of the tragedies.
“There was a repetition to it, and it was one more tragedy that the film couldn’t really withstand. I honestly don’t know if it would have gotten made,” Durkin told The Los Angeles Times.
“Chris was in the script for five years. […] When you’re trying to get a film made, you have to separate it at some point and say, ‘These are characters on a page, and this is a film, and there’s no way you’re going to fully capture the life of a person in a film.’ You have to make difficult choices to try and get to something truthful or representative or emotional that reflects the core of the journey you’re choosing to tell within this family.”
The brothers that The Iron Claw ultimately focuses on are Kevin, Kerry, David, and Mike, who are played by Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Stanley Simons, respectively. Of those four men, only Kevin Von Erich is still alive today.
In addition to Efron, White, Dickinson, and Simons, The Iron Claw — which is getting shouts for a Best Picture nomination and a Best Actor nomination for Efron — also stars Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany, and Lily James.
Prior to the release of the film, BroBible’s Post Credit Podcast sat down for interviews with the brothers (Efron, White, Dickinson, Simons) and director Sean Durkin, which you can check out below.
The Iron Claw, which has an 88% critics score and 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, is now playing in movie theaters across the United States.