Markiplier Warns Hollywood After Iron Lung's $50M Run

Mark Fischbach, known online as Markiplier, has turned a long YouTube career into a surprise film hit. His adaptation of the horror game Iron Lung cost roughly $4 million to make and has grossed $50 million, a result he says shows studios should not ignore creators from the platform.

“At least a lot of Hollywood was willfully ignoring the potential of YouTubers here,” Fischbach said. “There is that level of respect that I just haven’t met yet.” Fischbach has posted videos since 2012 and built his reputation on let’s plays of horror titles. In 2023 he set out to write, direct, star in and distribute Iron Lung, based on David Szymanski’s game in which the player pilots a claustrophobic, windowless submarine through a sea of blood.

“They said it shouldn’t be done. Not that it couldn’t be done,” he added.

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