How Markiplier’s Iron Lung Beat ‘Melania’ at the Box Office

Iron Lung, a horror film directed and self-funded by the YouTuber Mark Fischbach, pulled in $22 million in its first weekend after fans across the country requested screenings. It debuted at No. 2 the same weekend that the film about Melania Trump opened at No.

3 with $7 million. Last December, Alamo Drafthouse film buyer Sarah Pitre did not know who Markiplier was, but as fans scooped up presale tickets she added showtimes to keep up with demand. Fischbach, known online as Markiplier and backed by more than 38 million subscribers, spent less than $3 million to make the film, which is based on a 2022 indie video game by David Szymanski.

Over three years of shooting and editing he cast fellow creators and some video game actors, and he kept fans abreast of the project with behind-the-scenes stories and teaser trailers on his YouTube channel.

markiplier, iron lung, mark fischbach, melania trump, box office, youtube, alamo drafthouse, david szymanski, indie game, presale tickets