Markiplier’s Iron Lung has already surpassed all expectations at the box office, and his horror movie has the chance to do something remarkable this weekend.
Iron lung is the little movie that could. Based on the video game of the same name, written and directed by YouTube star Markiplier, and made on a shoestring budget, the film has already made its money back many times over.
Iron Lung hit screens last week, and opened at Number 2 in the US charts, trailing Sam Raimi’s Send Help. But where that film had a huge studio funding its marketing, Iron Lung was a grass-roots campaign that paid huge dividends.
With the Super Bowl changing the playing field in cinemas this weekend, Iron Lung could become even more of a fairytale story…
Markiplier’s Iron Lung could claim box office top spot
With well over 120 million Americans turning into the Super Bowl on Sunday, the weekend is usually a dumping ground for movies, with studios holding back their premium titles for a time when there’s less sporting competition.
According to Deadline, Super Bowl weekend was ranked second lowest for box office in 2025, while in 2024 it was the least lucrative Friday-to-Sunday of the year.
So with little fresh competition in cinemas, Iron Lung has a shot at topping the charts, with only Send Help standing in its way.
Early forecasts suggest that Sam Raimi will once again get the better of Markiplier, with Send Help predicted to earn $8.6 million against Iron Lung’s $7.2 million.
But don’t underestimate the YouTuber’s fans, who showed up in huge numbers last week, are currently watching the movie multiple times in theaters, and spreading the word far and wide on social media, as well as via positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
More horror competition this weekend
In terms of new films in cinemas this weekend, a pair of horror releases will be competing against the aforementioned horror duo.
The Strangers – Chapter 3 is opening in 2,500 cinemas, but while the first two instalments have grossed around $70 million worldwide, Part 3’s weekend haul is expected to top out at $5 million.
Whistle is a high-concept horror that plays like a variation on the Final Destination conceit, but while reviews have been largely positive, it’s opening in just 1,200 theaters, and Deadline is reporting a debut in the “low single digits.”
Indeed, Iron Lung and Send Help’s biggest rival might be Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience. The K-Pop concert movie is opening on over 1,600 screens, and early ticket sales have been strong, meaning this weekend could come down to a battle between songs and scares.
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