{"id":45578,"date":"2024-02-09T11:00:47","date_gmt":"2024-02-09T10:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1988953"},"modified":"2024-02-09T11:31:20","modified_gmt":"2024-02-09T10:31:20","slug":"the-iron-claw-director-recalls-kevin-von-erichs-reaction-to-cutting-out-fifth-brother","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/the-iron-claw-director-recalls-kevin-von-erichs-reaction-to-cutting-out-fifth-brother\/","title":{"rendered":"The Iron Claw director recalls Kevin Von Erich\u2019s reaction to cutting out fifth brother"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sean Durkin decided not to include Chris Von Erich in the wrestling drama about a true-life tragedy. <\/p>

By Patrick Cremona\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 09 February 2024 at 10:00 AM<\/p>

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While wrestling film The Iron Claw<\/a> is very much based on a true story, there are a few notable areas where it deviates from the real account of the Von Erich family \u2013 most prominently by cutting one of the brothers out of the film.<\/p>\n

The drama \u2013 which has just arrived in UK cinemas \u2013 stars Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson, Jeremy Allen White and relative newcomer Stanley Simons as four brothers who dominated the world of wrestling in the \u201980s before a series of awful events ripped the family apart.<\/p>\n

However, the film decides to leave out a fifth brother \u2013 Chris Von Erich \u2013 who tragically died by suicide at the age of just 21 in 1991, with writer\/director Sean Durkin having explained that it wouldn\u2019t have been possible to tell the entire story.<\/p>\n

In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com<\/a>, Durkin reiterated his reasons for making that decision and revealed how Kevin Von Erich \u2013 the only surviving brother \u2013 reacted when he was informed Chris would not be included in the film.<\/p>

\u201cIt was very painful to come to terms with and took about a year to take him out,\u201d he explained. \u201cBut it was the right decision to basically move the script from being a script that wasn\u2019t working into a film.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it wasn\u2019t just not working because of so much tragedy. It also just wasn\u2019t working on a character level, attention level focus, you know, it allowed it to find its sort of best self.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued: \u201cThat was a thing where I think had I been in touch with Kevin [when writing the script], I think it might have been even harder for me to make that [decision] because I would have felt like I would have to consult with him on it.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Iron Claw director explains why he cast \u201camazing\u201d Zac Efron<\/a><\/li>\n
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The Iron Claw review: Wrestling drama sets up more than it pays off<\/a><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cBut at the same time, when I finally told Kevin, I was so worried about telling him that Chris wasn\u2019t in it, he didn\u2019t even flinch. He was like, \u2018Yeah, I understand.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Durkin also explained why else he made the choice not to speak to Kevin until after he had finished work on the script, explaining that he \u201cdidn\u2019t want to sort of love Kevin too much so that it would cloud decision-making\u201d.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI felt like I could do that because there was so much out there, there were so many interviews he had given and there was so much available that I could draw from.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I sort of didn\u2019t need to speak to him in that sense, and then just wanted that space.\u201d<\/p>\n