The YouTuber Markiplier, known professionally as Mark Fishbach, has recently released his debut film Iron Lung, based on the video game of the same name. Fishbach wrote, directed, edited, distributed, and starred in the film. Funded by Fishbach, the film only had a budget of $3 million. Iron Lung exceeded box office expectations and earned over $21 million worldwide during its opening weekend. It competed fiercely with Sam Raimi’s new horror film.
Markiplier and Iron Lung
Fishbach’s channel Markiplier has gained over 38 million subscribers on YouTube. According to Forbes, he was the third-highest-paid YouTuber in 2022. Fishbach began his YouTube career in 2012 and saw rapid success, earning a Diamond Play Button for reaching 10 million subscribers in 2016. He gained traction for his Let’s Play series on games such as Five Nights at Freddy’s, which has also received a major film adaptation.
Fishbach uploaded a Let’s Play of Iron Lung in 2022, and shortly after approached the game’s creator, David Szymanski, about creating a film adaptation. Fishbach filmed the movie in 2023, and, according to IndieWire, it only took 35 days to shoot. The film also features Fishbach’s fellow YouTuber Jacksepticeye. Fishbach has previously created two YouTube interactive films; however, Iron Lung marks his first theatrical release. He did not go to any outside distributors and instead financed the film himself. He also took on multiple roles, including director and star, making this a true passion project.
The indie horror game Iron Lung was released in 2022. Developed by Szymanski, the game is set in a post-apocalyptic future where The Quiet Rapture has caused all stars and habitable planets to disappear. The game is set entirely inside a submarine in which the player explores an ocean of blood. The player is only able to interact with the outside world through X-ray images, which uncover a number of mysteries and horrors. Fishbach’s film adheres to this same premise, being shot almost entirely within a small submarine.
Opening Weekend
Iron Lung had a strong opening weekend, earning back its $3 million dollar budget from previews alone. The film went on to earn just under $18 million at the domestic box office and over $21 million worldwide. This impressive feat is seen as a win for independent movies. Many fans claim the film has started a battle against Hollywood and is proof that audiences still want to see original stories. When Fishbach saw the box office numbers for Iron Lung, it brought him to tears. He stated that he never expected this kind of traction. Iron Lung was originally set to be screened in only 50 theaters; however, after requests from fans, it expanded into over 4,000 screens nationwide.
Iron Lung’s success has shot it to the top of the box office. It has been competing with Raimi’s new horror film, Send Help, for the top spot. On the day of Iron Lung’s release, it topped the box office, beating Raimi’s film. It dropped to second the following day, where it remained for the rest of opening weekend. Send Help had a big advantage over Iron Lung. Distributed by Disney, the film had an estimated budget of $40 million. While Send Help did earn more than Iron Lung, it fell short of earning back its large budget. Send Help earned over a million less than Iron Lung in previews.
Box Office Controversy
Controversy arose at the end of opening weekend, as it appeared that Iron Lung was removed from the box office charts. Fishbach himself responded, stating that he should be in second, but he did not appear on the charts. Instead, on Saturday, Zootopia 2 was listed in second place, and Sunday saw Melania below Send Help. Many have speculated that this was an intentional move to sabotage an independent film. These speculations, however, are baseless, as it was likely a glitch. Following Fishbach’s post to TikTok, Iron Lung quickly reappeared in second place, where it stayed for the entire weekend.
Since Iron Lung’s release was only intended for a few theaters, the film will likely be leaving theaters soon. There is currently no news whether it will be released on streaming services, meaning many who hear of this indie success may not get the chance to see it for some time. However, in such a short run, Iron Lung has exceeded expectations and broken through barriers that often seem impossible for low-budget independent films to breach. Following his success, Fishbach will likely continue to produce larger projects and films, and, according to IndieWire, he has no plans to use an outside distributing company to do so.
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