‘We had to leave the movie theater’: This scene from ‘The Iron Claw’ moved the Von Erichs - The Dallas Morning News

At the Dallas premiere of The Iron Claw, the Von Erich family sat in the upstairs auditorium at Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff, away from the big crowd, decompressing after an invigorating red-carpet walk.

Along the red carpet, they had smiled and accommodated interviews from entertainment news media.

Once seated, they sat through a frank retelling of their family’s stories. They saw their kin’s pro wrestling triumphs depicted. But the film’s intent was also to reveal the backstories of the family’s many heartaches, including the untimely deaths of the Von Erich children.

Even at the premiere, it was an emotional whiplash.

As Kevin Von Erich’s sons, Marshall and Ross, point out, one particular scene got to the family.

In a dreamlike sequence that takes place after the Von Erich brothers have died, Kerry Von Erich drifts down a quiet stream on a raft at sunset. On shore, he reunites with his brothers, who have been waiting for him in the afterlife.

Before the movie, Ross said his father told him and Marshall in confidence about a dream he had after Kerry died. In it, Kevin was in a boat and paddled ashore to reunite with his brothers.

“He said he just remembers the pure joy of getting to see all his brothers again — and that was actually in the movie, which was a mind-blowing thing,” Ross said.

Marshall said the scene “was the only part that had all of us where we had to leave the movie theater. It was a really precious moment.”

In addition to Marshall and Ross, the family contingent included Kevin Von Erich and his wife, Pam Adkisson, and Kerry Von Erich’s adult daughters, Hollie Chilton and Lacey Von Erich.

“It was the heaviest moment where we just all hugged, man,” Marshall said. “It was crazy because we didn’t know anyone knew that. It was so personal.”

The Iron Claw opens nationwide on Friday. The movie, from powerhouse indie studio A24, premiered in Dallas on Nov. 8 and has been available for early screenings this week.

So far, the early reviews have been mostly positive. As of Thursday, The Iron Claw had scored 89% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 97 reviews. The site’s “Critics’ Consensus” calls the movie “powerfully acted and profoundly sad.”

Sean Durkin, a Canadian-born filmmaker who was a pro wrestling fan, turned his passion project into reality in 2021 when A24 signed on to produce and distribute the movie, according to Vulture.

The film cast Zac Efron (as Kevin Von Erich), Jeremy Allen White (Kerry Von Erich), Harris Dickinson (David Von Erich), Stanley Simons (Mike Von Erich), Holt McCallany (Fritz Von Erich) and Maura Tierney (Doris Von Erich).

The drama, based on true-life events, is told mainly from the perspective of Kevin Von Erich. The movie shows the complicated relationship the brothers had with their father, Fritz, who ran Dallas-based World Class Championship Wrestling.

Kevin Von Erich is the last surviving son of Fritz. Chris Von Erich and Kerry Von Erich died by suicide, and a third, Mike Von Erich, died of an overdose of sleeping pills in what was later ruled a suicide. Another son, David Von Erich, died of an intestinal disease at age 24. A younger brother, Jack Jr., was accidentally electrocuted at age 6 in 1959.

The Von Erich story has been told before, through documentaries, television segments and digital shorts.

The movie’s release coincides with the Von Erich family’s return to Texas after several years living in Hawaii. Kevin Von Erich put on a one-man show on Sept. 1 with moderator Dale Hansen at the Majestic Theatre in Dallas. Last week, Marshall and Ross Von Erich took part in an All Elite Wrestling event in Arlington.

Durkin is the first to address the story in a full-length feature film.

He said he was fascinated by the Von Erich family as a youngster living in England in the late 1980s and early ‘90s. He bought all the pro wrestling magazines and used his dad’s cigar wrappers as tiny championship belts for his pro wrestling action figures.

“As I started to write the script for The Iron Claw and craft this family’s story into a film, I had to find what my own connection to it was,” Durkin said in the movie’s press notes. “Why was I so drawn to these guys as a kid? Well, first of all, they were entertainers like no other.

“Their high-flying, rock-and-roll style was the most fun to watch. It is the basis for where wrestling is today. But it was more than that — their loss haunted me.”

Durkin also went as far as to reincarnate the 4,500-seat Sportatorium out of a Baton Rouge, La., furniture warehouse. The original Sportatorium was demolished in 2003.

The Von Erichs have mostly praised the movie, including Kevin Von Erich. Before the movie, Von Erich wouldn’t quibble with the details.

“It’s a movie, of course,” Von Erich said before the premiere. “So, it’s not going to be completely on the dime. But I was impressed.”

The movie omits Chris Von Erich, another Von Erich sibling who died by suicide. In the movie notes, Durkin explained the omission, saying “reality is so much worse than what is in the movie.

“You can’t make a movie like that. There’s just not enough time for it — it’s so relentless, “Durkin said.

Marshall and Ross Von Erich said the movie also got his parents’ relationship “off a little bit.” Likely, Kevin Von Erich plans to discuss the movie more in detail on March 29 when he joins moderator Dale Hansen for a one-man show at Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth.

Before the premiere, Efron got the affirmation he needed from Kevin Von Erich himself that he’d done the part justice.

“I care about that the most,” Efron said. “It’s a true story, so there’s an added layer of heart that you want to put into it. You want to make sure you play the character really honestly.”