Markiplier’s 2026 Horror Gem Finally Confirms Streaming Release on YouTube (& Teases Next Project)

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When Markiplier, the popular YouTuber Mark Fischbach, announced he was turning the indie horror game Iron Lung into a movie, many fans doubted it would work. He hadn’t made a feature film before, and the game itself is a very contained, dialogue-light story about a prisoner trapped in a crumbling submarine, navigating a bloody alien ocean. However, Markiplier decided to fund the $4 million production himself to maintain creative control. The risk paid off: Iron Lung earned $17.8 million in North America on its opening weekend with virtually no traditional advertising. Instead, ticket sales were driven by Markiplier’s large YouTube following of 38 million subscribers. The film eventually grossed over $50 million worldwide, making it an incredibly successful investment and a standout achievement in the horror genre.

Following a successful run in theaters, the horror film Iron Lung will be available to stream online. Director David Fischbach announced at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17th that the movie will be released exclusively on YouTube as a paid rental or purchase on May 31st. He explained that he chose YouTube because of his dedication to the fans who helped make the film possible, calling the platform his ‘home’.

Iron Lung Is Just the First Markiplier Movie

At a recent panel in Cannes, director David Fischbach announced he’s taking a break from filmmaking for at least a year to spend time with his wife, following the intense work on his film, Iron Lung. However, he plans to start a new project next year, though he hasn’t revealed what it will be. This is welcome news, as Iron Lung proved Fischbach is a talented director with potential beyond his beginnings on YouTube. The film particularly showcased his skill at building suspense and dread within a confined space—the submarine setting—without relying on typical horror tropes. Notably, Fischbach also edited the film himself, handled international distribution with Piece of Magic Entertainment, and generously used the film’s profits to double the salaries of everyone who worked on it, a commendable act considering recent cost-cutting measures in Hollywood.

The success of Iron Lung is part of a growing trend that’s changing how horror films are made and who gets to make them. YouTube, once seen as just a place for short videos, is now launching the careers of filmmakers who can create successful movies for theaters. A prime example is the Australian duo Danny and Michael Philippou, known for their RackaRacka channel, who directed the 2022 hit Talk to Me, which earned over $90 million worldwide on a small budget. They’re following that up with another horror film, Bring Her Back, in 2025. Before them, David F. Sandberg’s viral short Lights Out led to a full-length feature film in 2016, launching his career in mainstream filmmaking. And Kane Parsons’s web series Backrooms is also becoming a movie, with a planned release from A24 starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve.

Iron Lung is available to purchase exclusively on YouTube beginning May 31, 2026.

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2026-05-18 14:10