Indie horror IRON LUNG smashes ANZ Box Office
IRON LUNG, the indie, self-financed horror thriller from YouTube megastar Mark “Markiplier” Fischbach, has stormed the ANZ box office following its 30 January release through Rialto Distribution, knocking A24’s MARTY SUPREME from the top spot in only its second week and Sam Raimi’s SEND HELP, which opened the same week, into third.
Driven by Markiplier’s 50 million social media followers, including 38 million on his YouTube channel, IRON LUNG opened on 290 screens in Australia & New Zealand, finishing its opening 3-day weekend with $1.864m to claim the No. 1 spot in both countries.
Rialto Distribution secured ANZ rights after tracking the film’s burgeoning U.S. theatrical hype. “We had been following the buzz and saw the U.S. theatres growing, so we just jumped on it!” said Kelly Rogers, Rialto’s CEO. “I called the guys on a Saturday evening in LA and we did the deal on the spot. The rest, as they say, is history!”
In the U.S., IRON LUNG has similarly defied expectations. Launching on 30 January, industry pundits estimate it earned $8.9 million US on its opening Friday across 4,164 screens, with weekend projections sitting at $17-18 million US, well above forecasts; not bad for a self-financed film reportedly made for under $3 million USD.
Based on the cult indie horror game by David Szymanski, IRON LUNG was written, directed, and produced by Fischbach, who also stars in the film. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, it follows a convict forced to pilot a submarine called the “Iron Lung” through a blood-filled ocean on a desolate moon, in search of missing stars and planets following an event known as the Quiet Rapture, which caused a universal apocalypse.
Fans have rewarded Fischbach’s hands-on approach, delivering strong audience turnout and a 90 percent Rotten Tomatoes audience score.
Internationally, IRON LUNG is being released by Piece of Magic Entertainment in key European territories, Shear Entertainment in the UK, and DeVuono Releasing in Canada.
IRON LUNG demonstrates how a creator with a deeply engaged global following can translate online clout into box office success, with Rialto Distribution, who recently released standout Oscar contender THE SECRET AGENT, proving its flair for bringing both critically acclaimed and genre-defying audience titles to ANZ audiences.
Next up for Rialto is Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut THE DEB on 9th April ’26.
Download IRON LUNG stills & trailer HERE
https://rialtodistribution.com/film/iron-lung/
About the Author
Adrian Gunning Adrian lives in Melbourne Australia and has a huge passion for gaming, technology and pop culture. He recently finished his a Bachelor of Journalism and is currently focusing on games journalism. When not writing and playing video games, Adrian can be found in Comics 'R' Us debating the pros of the DC Universe and cons of the Marvel Universe.
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