Markiplier, the famous YouTube content creator, has surprised the film industry by adapting the indie horror game Iron Lung into a movie that has already grossed 21.7 million dollars globally. Recently released, the film managed to earn 12.5 million dollars during its first days at the box office, significantly surpassing its estimated budget of 3 million dollars.
Iron Lung is dominating the box office
The creator of the game, David Szymanski, expressed his astonishment at the success of the movie, commenting on social media: “What the fuck”. This comment arose after realizing that some graphics did not show the film’s earnings, to which he responded with a Starship Troopers meme that said “It’s afraid”. The movie was written, co-produced, directed, and starred by Markiplier, and is based on a game that, lasting approximately an hour, revolves around the experience of piloting a windowless submarine in a blood ocean of an alien planet.
The adaptation has been seen as a promising example for movies based on video games, especially those that do not rely on large production studios or famous faces in their cast. This fact could open doors to new adaptations, offering an alternative to more conventional proposals, such as those that have presented iconic titles like Mario or Sonic.
Despite the success of Iron Lung on the big screen, questions arise about whether the experience of watching the movie is really superior to playing the game on YouTube. According to PC Gamer’s senior editor, Christopher Livingston, the debate continues, but the truth is that this development is positive for the video game industry, regardless of the quality of the movie.
