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.
Meanwhile, Return to Silent Hill continues to flounder at the box office. The film dropped to 12th place at the US box office in its second week and has earned $10.1 million globally (via Box Office Mojo).
Looking ahead, several more video game movies are scheduled for release this year. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is out first in April 2026, followed by Mortal Kombat 2 in May.
