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Markiplier’s Self-Financed Iron Lung Opens No. 2 With $17.8 Million in U.S., $21.7 Million Worldwide

A fan-mobilized, creator-run rollout turned a niche game adaptation into a lucrative test case for grassroots theatrical distribution.

Overview

  • Mark Fischbach wrote, directed, starred in, financed, and self-distributed the film, adapting David Szymanski’s 2022 indie horror game on a reported $3 million budget.
  • Exhibitor interest fueled by fan outreach expanded the release from a planned 50 or so screens to 3,015 theaters across North America.
  • Opening receipts reached about $17.8 million domestically and roughly $21.5–$21.7 million worldwide, far exceeding production cost.
  • Reviews show a sharp split, with critics around 50% on Rotten Tomatoes and audiences around 89–90% after the first weekend.
  • After briefly disappearing from some box-office trackers, the title is listed again, and Fischbach told fans in an emotional livestream that the theatrical run will be short with fewer theaters next weekend.