YouTube sensation Mark Fischback, more popularly known through his online moniker "Markiplier," has made waves after his independent film "Iron Lung" hit theaters worldwide over the weekend. It has already made back its $3 million (₱176M) budget from merely presales alone, selling for over $6M (₱353M). It's an impressive feat, as Markiplier's success solely relied on strong word-of-mouth and support from his 38 million subscribers. Though as more theaters worldwide sell out seats for his latest movie, local theaters have yet to screen it.

"Iron Lung" is based on the 2022 video game of the same title. It centers around the player controlling a tiny submarine through an ocean of blood on an alien moon. David Szymanski, the developer of "Iron Lung," cites a visit to a Loch Ness Monster museum during a visit to Scotland as the inspiration for creating the game. Currently, the game is available on Steam at 50 percent off for only ₱137.47.

Markiplier is credited as the sole driving force for getting the "Iron Lung" movie made. Not only does he star in the film, but he also funded the entire venture himself while co-writing and co-directing through his own studios. News of the film's production first broke in 2023. Initially, it was a viral joke tweet made by David that caught the attention of many. In his tweet, he mentioned that Markiplier and fellow YouTuber Seán McLoughlin (Jacksepticeye) were set to star in a film adaptation of the game. Later that year, it would be revealed that Markiplier was set on following through with working on the movie. He spent the rest of the year working on the movie, even turning down a cameo role from another hit film adapted from a video game, "Five Nights at Freddy's." 

"Iron Lung" isn't Markiplier's first foray into acting. He first starred in the critically panned "Smosh: The Movie" as himself. He also starred in two interactive YouTube films, "A Heist with Markiplier" and "In Space with Markiplier." Markiplier was also the lead star in Amazon Prime Video's thriller series "The Edge of Sleep." 

Currently, no local theaters have offered screenings of "Iron Lung." There is, however, still hope as Markiplier shared online that fans can personally request and call on local theaters to host screenings of his movie. There is also an email section on the movie's website that allows people to connect with the film's handlers to arrange for a local screening. There is no news yet on when and where Markiplier's indie flick will come to online streaming. For now, Filipino fans will have to wait or call local theaters to request that they screen the film.