Most movie fans probably aren’t familiar with the film Iron Lung or the YouTuber Markiplier (Mark Fischbach), but his new movie is making waves for what it’s achieved with a limited budget. Made for around $3 million and filmed at Robert Rodriguez’s studio, Markiplier wrote, directed, and starred in the film, which was initially planned for a small release. However, a strong fan campaign led to a wide release in theaters worldwide, and in its first week, Iron Lung has already outperformed the original Super Mario Bros. movie from 1993 in North American ticket sales.
It’s been thirty years since the Super Mario Bros. movie came out, and Hollywood has changed a lot. While it’s tricky to directly compare the two films, the Super Mario games were already a huge cultural phenomenon when that first movie was released. Even though Super Mario was the most famous video game character at the time, the original movie wasn’t a big success with audiences. Considering all that, it’s remarkable that the recent indie horror film Iron Lung – made by a relatively unknown director and based on a little-known game – earned $24.5 million in just one week, while Super Mario Bros. only made $20.8 million during its entire run in theaters.
As a movie fan, I have to say the recent Super Mario Bros. Movie from 2023 really hit it out of the park, making a whopping $1.3 billion globally. Now, Iron Lung isn’t going to reach those heights, and that’s okay! But it’s interesting to note that both films have earned about ten times what it cost to make them – Mario had a $100 million budget, and it clearly paid off, just like Iron Lung is doing on a smaller scale.
What’s the Story Behind ‘Iron Lung’?
Released in 2022, the video game Iron Lung puts you in the shoes of an unnamed prisoner piloting a small submarine on a remote moon. Because the sub has no windows, you must rely on basic instruments to navigate and explore the underwater environment, uncovering strange objects that lead to a terrifying and unsettling discovery.
Markiplier started playing the game in 2023 and announced plans to turn it into a full-length feature film. Many were skeptical, given the game’s simple design. However, the filmmaker, working with game creator David Szymanski, managed to bring the project to life with a very small team. Despite almost no traditional marketing, the horror adventure has proven incredibly popular with audiences.
‘Iron Lung’ Surpasses Another ‘Super Mario Bros.’ Metric
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
While Super Mario Bros. earned $38.9 million globally, Iron Lung is on track to potentially exceed that amount. Critics also seem to favor Iron Lung, giving it a 54% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to the 27% received by Super Mario Bros. Audiences agree, with Iron Lung scoring 89% versus the Nintendo film’s 30%.
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Despite poor reviews and box office numbers, the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie—starring Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, and Dennis Hopper—was the first video game adaptation to hit the big screen, opening the door for films like Double Dragon, Street Fighter, and Mortal Kombat. Its failure taught filmmakers that simply having a popular name wasn’t enough to attract audiences, which likely contributed to the massive success of the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie and last year’s A Minecraft Movie. Interestingly, the 1993 film recently received a 4K restoration for home release, showing it still has a dedicated fanbase despite being considered a flop.
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2026-02-07 02:51