After nearly two years of careful work, Markiplier’s directorial debut Iron Lung is slated to hit cinemas at the end of January 2026. Markiplier — real name Mark Fischbach — isn’t just directing: he has taken on the roles of producer, writer, editor and lead actor, making this a deeply personal, all-in effort.
Markiplier’s Iron Lung all set to release soon
The movie is based on the 2022 indie horror game of the same name, originally created by developer David Szymanski. The game gained a cult following for its claustrophobic atmosphere and eerie underwater horror themes.
Translating that mood to film, Markiplier hopes to deliver a striking horror-sci-fi experience to fans and new audiences alike.
What makes Iron Lung especially unusual — and perhaps pioneering — is its distribution plan. Instead of going the traditional studio route, Markiplier is self-distributing the film.
He has partnered directly with independent theatres across the United States to bring his movie to the big screen. For the opening weekend (30 January – 1 February 2026), he aims to screen the film in as many as 50 to 100 indie venues. Tickets are set to go on sale this Friday, and among the venues is the premiere at the prestigious Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Downtown in Los Angeles.
At present, there is no confirmed date for when Iron Lung will become available for streaming — the focus remains on the theatrical rollout for now.
In a statement shared with Variety, Markiplier acknowledged the issues he had to overcome in this ambitious endeavor, stating, “They said it shouldn’t be done. Not that it couldn’t be done, people have made movies before, just that it would be ‘woefully unwise’ to tackle writing, directing, acting and editing a movie myself. Showed them. My bathroom might be a render farm now but I can’t wait for people to see the blood, sweat, blood, tears, blood and blood that went into this movie from everyone involved.” He humorously added that “Iron Lung” supposedly holds the record for “most blood in a horror movie. Or any movie for that matter.”
More about the film
Post-production took considerable time; although filming wrapped months ago, completing editing, visual effects and sound took nearly three years since Markiplier announced in April 2023 that principal photography had ended. The additional time speaks to the ambitious scope of the project and the challenges of translating a video-game experience into a fully-fledged feature film.
The cast includes not only Markiplier, but also talents like Caroline Rose Kaplan, Troy Baker and Elsie Lovelock — bringing a mix of voices familiar to gaming and horror fans.
If all goes to plan, Iron Lung could mark a new chapter not just for Markiplier, but for independent filmmaking in general — a project developed, produced, and distributed outside the traditional studio system, driven by creator passion and direct collaboration with local theatres.
Iron Lung will release in theatres on 30 January, 2026
