Popular YouTuber and filmmaker Markiplier confirmed his blood ocean submarining horror movie Iron Lung is getting an extended run after nearly taking the top spot at the weekend domestic box office.
In a stream late Monday night, Markiplier broke down Iron Lung‘s performance to his followers, which competed neck-and-neck with Sam Raimi’s castway horror Send Help before falling to second place for the weekend in the domestic box office.
At the end of the weekend, Send Help earned $19.1 million at the domestic box office while Iron Lung earned $17.8 million, according to Box Office Mojo.
The difference with Iron Lung is that it didn’t have a studio-backed marketing strategy. Instead, it was mostly Markiplier speaking directly to his fans and those curious about his independent project.
“Your audacity should be stopped,” Markiplier said. “Not by me, I’m not gonna stop you.”
Markiplier, whose real name is Mark Fischbach, was named to our Mashable 101 list in 2025 for building a massive audience as a gaming streamer whose fanbase have continuously supported his growing creative endeavors.
“This wouldn’t have happened without you guys,” Markiplier said. “It’s fundamentally astonishing.”
In addition to an extended theatrical run, Markiplier confirmed he is working out the details for home release, including DVD, Blu-ray, and digital.
“That is all being worked,” Markiplier said. “We’re still doing it independently from start to finish.”
Markiplier covered a lot of ground over the course of the video, describing the process of making and release Iron Lung as “another step to learn” as he looked to the future.
“Finally, I can feel like I can feel like I can have a foothold to start climbing again,” Markiplier said.
Iron Lung is now showing in cinemas.
