Redeem now - Warning: Spoilers ahead for "The Iron Claw," which centers on the real-life Von Erich family.
- The movie excludes Chris Von Erich, the youngest son of Fritz Von Erich.
- Director Sean Durkin said some aspects had to be omitted or consolidated for the sake of time.
Brotherhood is central to A24's new biopic on the legendary Von Erich family of wrestlers, but one sibling is absent from the narrative.
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in.Sean Durkin's "The Iron Claw" chronicles the prominence of patriarch Fritz Von Erich (played by Holt McCallany) and his sons in the wrestling world in the 1980s. The film stars Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich, Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich, Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich, and Stanley Simons as Mike Von Erich.
The film addresses the family's various tragedies, like the death of Fritz's firstborn, Jack Jr., at 6 years old. But "The Iron Claw" also takes some creative liberties and diverges from the real-life story.
One of the most significant changes is the omission of Chris Von Erich, Fritz's sixth child. In "The Iron Claw," he doesn't exist and instead, there are five total siblings.
In real life, Chris was the youngest of the 6 Von Erich brothers
Chris, born on September 30, 1969, grew up aspiring to be a wrestling star like his older brothers. He turned pro in 1990. But being 5-foot-5-inches and asthmatic deterred his success. Chris also had brittle bones due to prednisone, a medication used for asthma.
On September 12, 1991, Chris died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. He was 21 years old and the fourth sibling to die. The eldest, Jack Jr., died of an accidental electrocution and drowning in 1959, David died from acute enteritis in 1984, and Mike committed suicide in 1987. Kerry committed suicide in 1993, two years after Chris' death.
Kevin, the only surviving sibling, told Texas Monthly that he found Chris' body on a hill on Fritz's ranch property. Chris also left a suicide note in his bedroom. Fritz and his wife, Doris, divorced three months later.
"I loved Chris, but I wasn't around him that much. When I was, every word out of his mouth was a put-down, of other people and himself," Kevin told Texas Monthly in 2005, adding that he tried to "motivate'" his younger brother.
Chris was excluded from 'The Iron Claw' to keep the narrative tight
Durkin said in the production notes that aspects of the Von Erich story had to be omitted because of time constraints.
"The reality is so much worse than what is in the movie," he said. "You can't make a movie like that. There's just not enough time for it — it's so relentless."
Specifically regarding the exclusion of Chris, Durkin told Entertainment Weekly: "That was one of the toughest decisions I had to make."
"You could make nine hours of 'The Godfather' on this family," he said. "I didn't have that opportunity, so I had to make choices of what could fit in a movie."
The director told EW that his version of Mike is an amalgamation of his real-life counterpart and Chris.
In "The Iron Claw," Mike is happiest when he's playing guitar, listening to music, and exploring his interest in filmmaking. He reluctantly becomes a wrestler after David's death, but doesn't have the same passion or physicality as his older siblings to achieve greatness in the sport.
After injuring his shoulder during a wrestling match, Mike experiences toxic shock syndrome and a high fever and ends up in a coma. When he wakes from the coma, Mike's recovery is slow and he struggles to play guitar the way he used to pre-injury. Frustrated, he leaves a note behind for his family and commits suicide.
"The Iron Claw" is now playing in theaters.
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