Markplier’s Iron Lung to Hit YouTube May 31 After Box Office Win

YouTube star Markiplier has announced that fans can watch his horror film Iron Lung at home starting May 31. The movie will launch exclusively on YouTube, where viewers can purchase it directly on the platform. Markiplier shared the news during a Cannes panel hosted by Deadline. He said releasing the project on YouTube felt right because of his long history there. “YouTube is my home,” he said. “I’m pretty loyal to it.”

The film first reached theaters on January 30. It earned more than 50 million dollars worldwide on a reported budget of 4 million dollars. Markiplier drove most of the promotion through his own online audience instead of a traditional studio campaign. He also granted YouTube exclusive streaming rights for Iron Lung. The creator is also working with the platform to act as an aggregator and help other indie movies find an audience there.

Iron Lung is based on the indie horror game created by David Szymanski. The story unfolds in a future scarred by an event called the Quiet Rapture. A prisoner must explore a massive ocean of blood while trapped in a deteriorating submarine. The official synopsis calls the mission a descent into dread that becomes as psychological as it is physical.

Markiplier wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the movie. Caroline Rose Kaplan, Troy Baker, and Elsie Lovelock round out the cast.

With this latest move, Markiplier continues to carve out real power in filmmaking. He has warned that large studios should be worried about what Iron Lung‘s success means for the future of the industry. He hopes one day filmmakers will be able to upload movies to YouTube as easily as regular videos.

A physical release with special disc artwork is also being planned for the near future. This will let collectors add the title to their shelves.

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