Sean Durkin explains his decision to write Chris Von Erich out of The Iron Claw script.
Since hitting theaters last week, viewers of The Iron Claw have pointed out a noticeable omission from the film, which depicts the rise and the fall of wrestling’s Von Erich family. As wrestling fans soon realized, Chris Von Erich, the youngest of the Von Erich brothers, was not included in the film. In response, the Los Angeles Times spoke with the movie’s director, Sean Durkin, to find out more about the reasoning behind this decision.
While Chris was featured in the earlier drafts of The Iron Claw, Durkin noted that Chris’ passing (death by suicide in 1991), added another heartbreaking layer to an already tragic tale. “There was a repetition to it, and it was one more tragedy that the film couldn’t really withstand,” Durkin said. “I honestly don’t know if it would have gotten made.”
Durkin later revealed that he fought to keep Chris Von Erich in The Iron Claw script for five years. Eventually, though, he felt it was best to cut Chris’ presence from the film. It is worth noting, however, that aspects of Chris’ story were translated into the narrative surrounding the second youngest brother, Mike Von Erich.
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