Lily James will be included in the cast of The Iron Claw, an upcoming film by A24 about the Von Erichs, a family who made their mark in the professional wrestling arena over the past half century.
As first reported by Deadline, it has not yet been revealed what role she will be playing, but she will be joining a stellar list of performers that includes Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson, Holt McCallany, Jeremy Allen White, and Maura Tierney.
James has most recently starred in the role of Pamela Anderson in Pam & Tommy, a limited series for Hulu. In that capacity, she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. She also appeared recently in Darkest Hour and Yesterday, as well as in The Dig on Netflix and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again! The actress also played the title role in Disney’s live-action remake of Cinderella. James most recently wrapped production on Finalmente L’alba opposite Willem Dafoe and Providence opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Himesh Patel.
The Canadian-born Sean Durkin will be directing The Iron Claw based on his own script. No release date has yet been announced. He is perhaps best known for having directed Martha Marcy May Marlene, a 2011 thriller about a woman, played by Elizabeth Olsen, who had been abused in a cult. The film won the directing award at that year’s Sundance Film Festival. In 2013, Durkin directed Southcliff, a dramatic series for Chennel 4, which starred Sean Harris and Rory Kinnear. His second film, The Nest, had its premiere in 2020.
The Iron Claw is based on the real-life saga of the Von Erich family, prominent in wrestling circles since the 1960s. The family has been besieged by a “family curse” that has seen the untimely deaths of five of the six sons of patriarch Fritz Von Erich. His two
grandsons, Marshall and Ross Von Erich, are still active in the sport.
The film is being produced at A24 by Tessa Ross, Derrin Schlesinger, and Harrison Huffman. It’s being developed by House Productions, with the support of Access Entertainment and BBC Film.