The enduring SAG-AFTRA strike has affected many fall releases like the Zendaya-led tennis drama Challengers and the sci-fi blockbuster Dune Part 2, which were pushed to next year due to the inability to have their stars promote the movies. But some movies are pushing forward, including the Jeremy Allen White and Zac Efron wrestling movie,The Iron Claw. The movie still is holding on to its 2023 release date, and it’s all because of a deal with SAG.
According to a report by Deadline, The Iron Claw has snagged an interim agreement with the union, which allows the cast to continue to promote with its stars amidst the Hollywood work stoppage. Interim agreements are given to some films that are produced and distributed by companies outside the AMPTP, the major studio negotiating body. These interim agreements are granted to movies with studios who have agreed to the negotiating demands of SAG, thus satisfying their compensation requirements. A24, the independent studio behind The Iron Claw has done this, allowing the cast to promote the film.
A24 is behind a number of films with current interim agreements, including Sofia Coppola’s Pricilla, who’s agreement allowed the film to premiere at the Venice Film Festival with stars like Jacob Elordi there to promote. The interim agreement is temporary, and when SAG-AFTRA negotiates a deal with the major studios, A24 and other independent production companies will also be privy to the negotiated deal. According to SAG, the interim agreement has been explained as an effective negotiation tactic that allows small companies to benefit from their goodwill, and financially benefit from agreeing to SAG requests. This is while competing projects from big studios suffer from a lack of promotion and shuffled release schedules.
The interim agreement for The Iron Claw is a major win for the film, which will likely rely on its starpower to generate an audience. Movies now more than ever lean on the power of major stars to gain attention, and especially stars which resonate with young audiences. Jeremy Allen White is having a real moment right now, considering the success of the popular FX show, The Bear, which he stars in. Zac Efron has been a draw for years, and his turn in a serious role is likely to generate intrigue, especially considering the muscle-heavy first look at the A24 drama. The movie also stars Lily James, and Triangle of Sadness’s Harris Dickinson.
The Iron Claw is a biographical movie about the Von Erich family, which fostered a generations-spanning wrestling dynasty. The family popularized the iron claw professional wrestling hold, hence the title, and will also seek to explore the dark side of the family and the wrestling industry. Efron and White will play brothers, Kevin and Kerry Von Erich. The movie is written and directed by Sean Durkin, who is known for helming indie performance vehicles like Martha Marcy May Marlene and 2020’s The Nest. A trailer for the film is yet to be released, but we will likely be hearing more about the film from its central stars as we draw closer to the Oscar race-friendly release date.
You can see Jeremy Allen White and Zac Efron starring opposite each other in The Iron Claw, which is set to hit theaters in the United States on December 22nd. For more information on what else is coming to cinemas this fall, make sure to consult our 2023 movie release schedule.