YouTube creator Markiplier broke down in tears this weekend after his self-funded movie Iron Lung shattered expectations at the box office. The ultra-low-budget thriller opened at No. 2 in North America with $17.8 million from 3,015 theaters, finishing just behind Disney and Sam Raimi’s Send Help, which debuted to $30 million.
Including $3 million from international markets, Iron Lung earned a global total of $21.7 million. The performance shocked analysts since the movie had no studio backing. Markiplier, whose real name is Mark Fischbach, financed the $3 million production himself and oversaw every step of distribution. He also wrote, directed, and starred in the video game-inspired story about a fugitive trapped in a blood-filled ocean after a mysterious rapture.
“I’m tearing up at the beginning of this,” Fischbach said during a Sunday livestream. “It’s been an emotional day in the best way possible. Thank you guys so much.”
ACTUAL EMERGENCY MEETING!!
During the same broadcast, he announced that Iron Lung will end its run in most theaters after next weekend, though industry watchers say the short release window won’t stop it from turning a major profit. With an equal revenue split between theaters and the filmmaker, Fischbach told fans his crew will receive large bonuses. “I’m not a big studio,” he said. “It’s really cool because everybody wins.”
The film’s path to wide release was improvised. Iron Lung was initially booked in just 50 theaters before word spread and independent cinemas across the country joined in. Fischbach said he received multiple calls from major studios offering help but chose to self-distribute. “It’s kind of a hero moment to showcase indie filmmaking is possible,” he explained.
Despite limited screens, Iron Lung nearly topped Send Help at the domestic box office, a rare feat for a self-released film. Fischbach encouraged fans to see it before the weekend ended, hinting that overtaking Disney would send a message to the industry. “Maybe they could only win nine weeks in a row, the one weekend that Iron Lung is here,” he said. “If that could inspire someone to keep making films, that’d be pretty cool.”
As for his own next move, the YouTuber said he planned to buy a ticket to Send Help. “I want to watch it so bad,” he admitted.
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English (US) · 