Markiplier breaks down in tears thanking fans for Iron Lung’s box office success

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Markiplier, a popular YouTuber who recently became an independent filmmaker, became visibly emotional and cried while addressing his fans as his film, Iron Lung, achieved significant success in theaters.

Markiplier’s movie, Iron Lung, which he funded himself and based on the 2022 horror game, surprised everyone by becoming the top movie in the US when it was released on January 30, 2026.

The violent, two-hour film was a big success, surpassing both Sam Raimi’s thriller ‘Send Help’ and the political documentary ‘Melania.’ It made seven times its small budget of under three million dollars.

On February 1, 2026, Markiplier hosted a livestream to celebrate the movie’s success, expressing his gratitude to his audience for showing that independent creators can thrive alongside major Hollywood studios.

Markiplier hopes Iron Lung can boost indie filmmakers in Hollywood

While streaming, Mark encouraged viewers to keep watching his film over the weekend, pointing out that ‘Send Help’ was starting to catch up to ‘Iron Lung’ in box office revenue. He admitted he wasn’t focused on the earnings themselves, but explained that keeping ‘Iron Lung’ in the top spot could help it get selected for film festivals and boost the credibility of independent filmmaking.

He admitted he was a little unsure about asking, but believed this could be a significant boost for independent filmmakers. He hoped it might encourage others to continue creating, and show them that independent projects can be successful, potentially opening doors for future filmmakers.

Man, this weekend has been wild, but in a good way. It’s been super emotional, like a real weight lifted. We put so much work into this movie, and seeing all the amazing messages from the team – people who really poured their hearts into it – has been incredible. Honestly, if I could just get this film into a festival and give them something to be proud of, that would be a dream come true.

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Mark’s touching message quickly spread online, and fans were deeply moved and impressed that his film had surpassed Disney’s to become the most popular movie in American theaters.

One YouTube user expressed their excitement for Mark, saying that surpassing Disney in success is a huge accomplishment.

It’s wild, right? I heard about this guy who used to be obsessed with Slenderman – like, super into the creepy pasta – and now he’s directed a massive blockbuster movie! Apparently, it all started because he was a big fan of the game. I bet his mom is unbelievably proud of him, it’s such a cool story.

I’m really excited about how well Iron Lung did! It feels like a huge win for all of us indie filmmakers. It proves that if a smaller, unique project can break through, it opens the door for a lot more of us to get our work seen. It’s a really hopeful sign!

Although critics are divided on Iron Lung, audiences overwhelmingly love it, giving it nearly perfect scores on sites like Rotten Tomatoes. TopMob awarded the film 4 out of 5 stars, praising its incredibly tense atmosphere, frightening moments, and a surprisingly strong performance from Markiplier, who has expressed interest in making more films.

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2026-02-02 23:19