Iron Lung Debuts at $17.8M in Second Place

Markiplier's directorial debut, the sci-fi horror film Iron Lung, opened to a strong $17.8 million at the U.S. box office this weekend, securing second place behind Sam Raimi's Send Help while exceeding expectations for the low-budget production.

The film, released on January 30, 2026, in 3,015 theaters, stars YouTuber Mark Edward Fischbach, known as Markiplier, who also wrote, directed and edited the project. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, it follows a convict piloting a submarine through a blood-filled ocean on a distant moon to complete a vital mission. Based on the 2022 video game of the same name, Iron Lung runs 2 hours and 7 minutes and carries an R rating for bloody images, gore and language. With a reported production budget under $3 million, the movie has already grossed $20.8 million worldwide, placing it firmly in profit territory even after accounting for marketing and distribution costs.

Send Help, a survival horror starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien, topped the charts with $20 million from 3,475 locations, drawing audiences with its story of a woman trapped on a desert island with her abusive boss. The success of both films boosted the overall box office,...