The first trailer for the film The Iron Claw was released on Wednesday morning.
The film stars Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson and Stanley Simons as brothers who became big wrestling stars in the 1970s.
Zac is almost unrecognizable as the very muscular athlete Kevin Von Erich, who is the biggest wrestling star in the family.
The clip shows the brothers rising to fame under their domineering father, becoming superstars and then collapsing as they face one tragedy after another.
The film is based on a true story.
“Ever since I was a kid, people said my family was cursed,” Zac’s character says at the start of the trailer as he stands shirtless in the ring. He then says that their father taught them to fight for what they wanted.
The film opens in cinemas on December 22nd.
New look: The first trailer for the film The Iron Claw was released on Wednesday morning. Zac Efron plays the lead role
Different face: Efron is very excited about the role and has a new haircut
Brothers in the Ring: The film also features “The Bear” stars Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson and Stanley Simons as brothers who became big wrestling stars in the 1970s
The Summary: The Von Erich family becomes a dynasty of professional wrestlers making history, but a series of tragic events test their strength and spirit.
Kevin’s brother David died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 25, while Mike, Kerry and their little brother Chris committed suicide.
The sports dynasty was plagued by tragedy for decades, causing an enduring legend to form around what fans call “the Von Erich Curse.”
In a promotional photo from “The Iron Claw,” four of the brothers are pictured lovingly posing together by a white picket fence.
Kevin puts an arm around David’s shoulders as Kerry playfully pulls Mike toward her in a mock headlock.
Although all wrestlers in the family fought under the nickname “Von Erich,” their official last name was actually Adkisson.
The Von Erich wrestling tradition began not with the brothers, but with their father Jack, who adopted the ring persona of a Nazi named Fritz Von Erich.
Mindhunter star Holt McCallany was cast as Jack/Fritz, who succumbed to cancer in his 60s and lost all of his sons except Kevin.
Zac’s Appearance: He appears much fatter and bloated in this role
Beefy: Zac is almost unrecognizable as the very muscular athlete Kevin Von Erich, who is the biggest wrestling star in the family
Hard Road: The clip shows the brothers rising to fame under their domineering father, becoming superstars and then collapsing as they face one tragedy after another
No pain, no gain: The film is based on a true story. “Ever since I was a kid, people said my family was cursed,” Zac’s character says at the start of the trailer as he stands shirtless in the ring
Tough Father: He then says that their father taught them to fight for what they wanted. The film opens in cinemas on December 22nd
Lily James plays Kevin’s wife Pam.
Maura Tierney portrays the family matriarch, Doris, and Aaron Dean Eisenberg plays Ric Flair.
According to an article from Variety on Thursday, “The Iron Claw” will be released in theaters nationwide on December 22nd by A24.
Last year, before he began filming The Iron Claw, Jeremy told GQ that he planned to gain 40 pounds of muscle of his own.
Quartet: (from left) Dickinson, Efron, Simons and White are pictured as the Von Erich brothers in the trailer for The Iron Claw
Review: The real Chris, Mike, Kevin and Kerry Von Erich are pictured with their mother Doris Adkisson, who witnessed the death of all but one of her sons
There he is: The Von Erich wrestling tradition began not with the four brothers, but with their father Jack, who adopted the ring persona of a Nazi named Fritz Von Erich (pictured).
He also shed light on his personal connection to his character, musing, “There’s something human about never feeling like you’re truly your own man.”
The Shameless star added: “All great dramas are about family, whether there’s blood or not. “It’s about acceptance, about belonging and just escaping loneliness.”
“The Iron Claw” is directed by Sean Durkin, who became known in 2011 with the suspenseful indie thriller “Martha Marcy May Marlene” starring Elizabeth Olsen.
In an interview with TMZ last year, the real Kevin Von Erich showered Zac with praise, saying with a laugh, “I saw a picture of the guy – he looked great, man, I don’t think I’ve ever looked that good!”
Kevin also had some warm words for Sean, adding: “I spoke to the director.” “He seemed like a really nice guy.”
Although he predicted that the film would be a “tough work” due to the amount of “information” and long amount of time that has to be put into the script, he was optimistic that “they will do great.”