Iron Lung, the first feature film by new Director, Mark Fischbach, better known online as Markiplier released in theaters on January 31st.
The film is an adaptation of a video game by the same name made by David Symanski. The film is directed and starred in by Mark Fischbach. The film also stars Sean McLoughlin (known online as ‘jacksepticeye’), Caroline Kaplan, David Symanski, Troy Baker, Issac McKee and Elsie Lovelock. Fischbach also co-produced the movie with Will Hyde and Jeff Guerrero.
The film has been in the works for three years, being a highly anticipated film for fans of the YouTube star ‘Markiplier’. In late 2025, the final trailer was released with the official release date and theaters. Originally, the film was only going to be shown in around 60 local theaters. However, after the tickets were all sold out for the local theaters a month before it was slated for release. After this happened, the amount of theaters showing the film expanded over the next 2 days. AMC and Regal picked up the film, cementing the showing of the film across the country.
The film is a breakout outlier for independent film, and marks a new era of cinema. Independent films are often popular among a niche community of fans. Combining that with the fact that the film is an adaptation of a horror video game, it is a very impressive feat. However, it is important to note that Mark Fischbach had an expansive online following, running a YouTube channel with 36 million subscribers. Additionally, Fischbach also has a light history with film-making, directing, and cinematography while working on choose-your-own adventure video projects published on YouTube. These include self-starring titles such as ‘In Space with Markiplier’ or ‘A Heist with Markiplier’. Additionally
The movie focuses on a post-apocalyptic setting where all stars and habitable planets have disappeared in an event dubbed the ‘Quiet Rapture’. A convict, played by Mark Fischbach, is sent into an ocean of blood on an empty moon to look for habitable stars or planets. He is traveling in a submarine titled the ‘Iron Lung’, giving the film its title.
At the time of writing this, the film is currently number two in the domestic box office, topped only by the thriller ‘Send Help’, although the gap between the two films is shockingly close. Additionally, the studio behind the movie has launched a blood drive to celebrate the release of ‘Iron Lung’. The film is an impressive step for independent film, and will be showing until February 4th in most theaters. More information about the film, original game, and blood drive can be found on https://ironlung.com.
