Youtuber Mark “Markiplier” Fischbach’s feature film adaptation of the horror video game Iron Lung has gotten off to an impressive start at the box office, earning $21.5 million globally. Of that total, $17.8 million came from the US box office during its opening weekend, and internationally, the movie grossed $3.6 million across seven foreign markets.
With a budget reportedly of $3 million, Thursday night previews pulling in $3.5 million, and minimal marketing spend, the low-budget film is a profitable venture after just a single weekend. Iron Lung creator David Szymanski had a succinct response to the film’s doing better than expected, which saw it beat Evil Dead director Sam Raimi’s Send Help to claim the top spot in the US:
What the fuck https://t.co/YbF25bCnbn
— David Szymanski (@DUSKdev) January 31, 2026
First released in 2022, Iron Lung is a short horror game where an unnamed convict pilots a tiny submarine through an ocean of blood on an alien moon. In April 2023, Markiplier announced that he would produce, direct, and star in a live-action adaptation of Iron Lung, with Szymanski being heavily involved in the project.
