Markiplier’s ‘Iron Lung’ Quadruples Its Budget In A Day, Winning Friday Box Office

There’s a whole other world out there, box office pundits are now realizing, and it’s looking like famed YouTuber Mark “Markiplier” Fischbach. Markiplier’s self-financed horror film, Iron Lung, might top the weekend returns. It’s already won Thursday previews, and now, it’s brought in an estimated $8.9 million on Friday alone, besting fellow horror film, Send Help, directed by Sam Raimi and starring big names like Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien.

Now, projections say that Iron Lung may nearly double initial estimates for the weekend, going from $10 million to a potential $17 million. Iron Lung made $3.5 million in Thursday previews, and this $8.9 million Friday figure brings it to $12.4 million already, so $17 million might even be low. And again, this is a self-financed project from the horror-game-playing/making YouTuber, with an estimated budget under $3 million, which would mean it’s earned four times its budget in roughly a day. The film stars mainly Markiplier himself, alongside storied video game actor Troy Baker. Markiplier also co-wrote and directed the film.

Audiences, largely Markiplier fans, no doubt, are loving the film. It has a 90% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, in contrast to a less-glowing 50% critic score, with ten reviews in. It’s a separation that reminds me a bit of the fan-loved, critic-dismissed Five Nights at Freddy’s movies, a game that, ironically, helped Markiplier rise to fame. He’s now got 38.1 million YouTube followers, amassed over more than a decade on the platform.