Iron Lung movie breaks out at box office with $21.5m opening weekend

• Despite a limited international release, Iron Lung earned $17.8m in the US, landing second on domestic charts.
• The film opened across 3,015 theatres and outpaced higher budget rival, Send Help in pre-release social media reach.
• The adaptation is based on David Szymanski’s 2022 indie horror game, which has sold an estimated 310,000 copies on Steam.

The live-action adaptation of Iron Lung has emerged as a breakout box office performer, pulling in $21.5 million worldwide on its opening weekend. 

Written and directed by lead actor Mark Fischbach, who also goes by Markiplier on YouTube, the film had a modest production budget of around $3m. 

Despite a limited international rollout, it generated $17.8m of its opening weekend total in the US, finishing second on the domestic charts behind Send Help, a higher-budget release from Sam Raimi.

Iron Lung opened across 3,015 theatres. According to RelishMix, the film entered the weekend with a larger combined social media reach than Send Help, driven largely by YouTube and a late surge on TikTok.

Transmedia wave

The film is based on the 2022 indie horror game by David Szymanski, which casts players as the pilot of a rusting submarine navigating an ocean of blood on a distant moon. 

The game has sold an estimated 310,000 copies on Steam and was later launched on Switch, PS5 and Android.

While its opening trails the $80m debut of Five Nights at Freddy's, Iron Lung’s far lower budget makes it a notably successful outing and a clear example of how creator-led audiences can translate into box office success.

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