Zac Efron’s Wrestling Biopic Has Found Its Ric Flair

The Zac Efron-led wrestling movie, The Iron Claw, has found its Ric Flair in Aaron Dean Eisenberg.

By Matthew Creith | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

Actor Zac Efron made headlines recently when pictures from his upcoming biographical film about wrestler Kevin Von Erich dropped, signifying Efron’s dedication to the role by bulking up to play the icon in The Iron Claw. After The Greatest Beer Run Ever debuted this year on Apple TV+, Efron’s newest project still looks to be still in production and filming to make sure that its 2023 release date holds strong, but casting announcements seem to be released almost weekly at this point. According to a report by Deadline, The Iron Claw has found its Ric Flair in actor Aaron Dean Eisenberg, who has recently joined the biopic alongside Efron.

The Iron Claw will depict the life of professional wrestler Kevin Von Erich as well as the whole of the Erich family, played by an ensemble cast that includes Jeremy Allen White, Triangle of Sadness star Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, and Holt McCallany. Aaron Dean Eisenberg is joining The Iron Claw to play Ric Flair, regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of the sport. The Iron Claw will center around Von Erich’s rise to fame and the use of his iron claw professional wrestling hold, which became so popular that the move is still used by some wrestlers to this day.

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In addition to Aaron Dean Eisenberg joining the growing cast of The Iron Claw as Ric Flair, other well-known actors have been cast in the film in currently undisclosed roles. British actor Lily James recently confirmed that she has also been included in the film, although not much is known yet about what part she will play in the wrestling biopic. The movie will most likely see some famous wrestling names as part of Kevin Von Erich’s storyline, while real professional wrestler Maxwell Jacob Friedman has been mentioned so far as appearing in the project.

The Iron Claw might be telling the story of Kevin Von Erich’s rise to professional wrestling glory, but it will also be letting the audience in on some of the other real-life characters that made up Von Erich’s career, including Ric Flair. The Von Erich family will be at the crux of the film as they are a well-known dynasty of wrestlers that date back to before the 1960s, similar to many of the characters presented in David O. Russell’s film The Fighter that starred Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. However, The Iron Claw is supposed to make sure to reflect Von Erich’s issues outside of the ring that made him famous, including the “Von Erich curse” that saw many of the family members die young.

Having been cast in The Iron Claw as Ric Flair, actor Aaron Dean Eisenberg might be joining a film that will define the rest of his acting career. Eisenberg is so far not a household name, as the actor is primarily known for stints on television shows like Bull and The Deuce. Other than The Iron Claw, Eisenberg will next be featured as part of the cast of Dead Ringers alongside Rachel Weisz, Jennifer Ehle, and Emily Meade.