YouTube star Markiplier reacts to his self-financed horror film’s box office success

YouTube star Mark Fischbach, known online as Markiplier, said he was “tearing up” as he addressed fans during a livestream following the theatrical release of “Iron Lung” in late January. The Korean American creator self-financed the film and chose to distribute it independently, expanding the release from a planned 50-theater rollout to over 3,000 theaters nationwide after exhibitors reported strong demand. The film opened to about $18 million domestically, representing well over half of its total gross, and went on to earn roughly $30 million in inflation-adjusted domestic ticket sales despite an average run of about two weeks per theater.

About the film: Set in a distant future, “Iron Lung” follows a lone prisoner forced to pilot a small, rusted submarine through an alien ocean of blood on a moon where no sunlight reaches the surface. The mission is carried out under constant threat, with the vessel lacking windows and relying on limited instruments while unseen creatures move outside. Fischbach adapted the screenplay from the 2022 indie video game of the same name, preserving its minimalist setting and emphasis on tension, isolation and psychological horror.

An emotional livestream moment: Speaking during a YouTube broadcast titled “ACTUAL EMERGENCY MEETING!!,” Fischbach described being overcome as he processed the film’s reception. “I’m tearing up at the beginning of this,” he said. “It’s been a bit of an emotional day in the best way possible. So I’ll first say, ‘Thank you guys so much.’” He also told viewers that “Iron Lung” would not be playing in many theaters the following weekend.

How the money works: The 36-year-old YouTuber said the abbreviated theatrical run was still expected to be highly profitable under independent exhibition terms. “I personally don’t care about the numbers, other than, ‘Woohoo, success,’” he said. “I’m going to be able to give the crew a big bonus. That’s awesome. I’m not a big studio. So the split with the theaters is basically 50-50. It’s really cool because everybody wins.” The revenue-sharing structure allowed theaters and the filmmaker to benefit directly from ticket sales without a studio intermediary.

Box office and competition: Fischbach acknowledged during the livestream that “Iron Lung” was only slightly behind “Send Help” on domestic box office charts at the time and encouraged undecided viewers to see the film before the weekend ended. He framed the moment as representative of what smaller productions could achieve, saying, “It’s kind of a hero moment to showcase indie filmmaking is possible.”