First look at Zac Efron's transformation into legendary wrestler for biopic

Zac Efron has shared a first look at his beefed up rig in his upcoming movie about legendary wrestler Kevin Von Erich.

The Iron Claw, which is being produced by film studio A24, will tell the story of the Von Erich family and the huge impact they had on wrestling as well as the impact the sport had on them.

So, to play a convincing professional wrestler, Efron had to bulk up massively to look like a professional sportsman.

People have flooded the comments section of his preview snap with compliments and hype.

One user said: "Bro's physique is MAGNIFICENT!"

A second added: "Holy crap! Those abs!"

A third piped up with a High School Musical reference: "T as in TONED AF."

Some expressed concern for the 35-year-old actor, who has previously spoken out against the training he underwent for Baywatch and how it left him mentally destroyed.

Speaking to Men's Health in 2020, Efron said the toned look was a gruelling task to achieve.

"That Baywatch look, I don’t know if that’s really attainable,” he explained.

"There’s just too little water in the skin. Like, it’s fake; it looks CGI’d."

Efron added: "And that required Lasix, powerful diuretics, to achieve. So I don’t need to do that. I much prefer to have an extra, you know, two to three per cent body fat."

He told the publication that the training left him with depression and insomnia, which led him to lead a vegan lifestyle for two years.

The High School Musical star also vowed he would never do a role that required such draining, physical effort again.

That appears to have gone out the window, with fans expressing concern on social media.

One user said: "Can't wait to see all this but take care of yourself first."

A second added: "Please take care babe."

The Iron Claw boasts a pretty stellar cast, as per Fox News.

As well as Efron, the cast includes Lily James, Harris Dickinson, Holt McCallany, Jeremy Allen White, and Maura Tierney.

Canadian director Sean Durkin is at the helm of the movie.

While the real Von Erichs originated from Texas, the wrestling dynasty all adopted the ring name Von Erich after the family patriarch.

Patriarch Fritz Von Eric - real name Jack Adkisson - chose the German-sounding name as it was perfect at the time for a wrestling villain.

The family is believed to be cursed after a string of strange deaths.

Kevin Von Erich is the last surviving son of patriarch Fritz.

The Iron Claw is set for a 2023 theatrical release.

Featured Image Credit: Imagespace / Alamy. A24.

Topics: Celebrity, TV and Film, Zac Efron, WWE, Sport

Rachel Lang

Rachel Lang is a Digital Journalist at LADbible. During her career, she has interviewed Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull in the lead up to the 2016 federal election, ran an editorial campaign on the war in Yemen, and reported on homelessness in the lead-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding in Windsor. She also once wrote a yarn on the cheese and wine version of Fyre Festival.

@rlangjournalist