A24’s ‘The Iron Claw’ was officially released last week and is receiving rave reviews with a near-90% score from both critics and fans alike on Rotten Tomatoes. A particularly notable name involved in the film is MJF, who served as both an executive producer behind the scenes as well as playing Lance Von Erich on-screen. Those heading to theatres to see the AEW World Champion in an extensive role on the big screen are setting themselves up for disappointment, however, as Friedman only appears in the movie briefly.
In a recent interview with Liam Crowley of Comicbook, Friedman revealed that he shot several scenes, specifically with lead Zac Efron, that were ultimately left on the cutting room floor. He went on to explain why his role being significantly reduced was ultimately for the best, however.
“There most certainly is [an extended scene]. I don’t know where it’s going to live,” MJF said. “There was a scene where me and him were talking, but me and Sean both completely understood that listen, I want this film to succeed, and the film needed to be about the brothers. As fun as I had shooting that scene, realistically, it didn’t add to the overarching story and the importance of the story between the brothers and what they were going through in dealing with the pressures that their father put on them. It didn’t fit in the pieces of the puzzle.
“I’m sure that you’re going to find that there was a lot of stuff that got cut and it wasn’t because it wasn’t good. I think everything that was shot was absolutely fantastic. Not just my stuff, but every actor had stuff that got cut. It’s just like there’s only so much time. The story that’s most important is the brothers. That’s what it came down to. I couldn’t agree with Sean Durkin more on the decisions he made. The film is an absolute masterpiece.”