Iron Lung Digital Release: Markiplier Gives An Update As Fans Wait

YouTube star Markiplier’s video game movie, Iron Lung, was a smash hit at the box office, bringing in more than $50 million on a relatively minuscule budget. But when is it coming to home video? It’s been out of theaters for some time already, prompting fans to wonder about the long wait.

Markiplier, whose real name is Mark Fischbach, said in a newly released video (via Bloody-Disgusting) that the digital release of Iron Lung has been “taking so long” because he’s been at work trying to make a deal “so that other people can benefit from it.”

From the start, Markiplier said he viewed Iron Lung as a sidequest and not something he was doing for money. When the film became a success at the box office, he promised to distribute the profits to the crew, and now he’s hoping to make the film’s digital release something other people benefit from instead of himself first and foremost.

“That’s the goal. And that’s what I’ve been trying to do. And there’s a lot of legal loopholes to do it, and there’s a lot of setup to do it,” he said. “But I’m on the final phase of setting that up. And that means that it’s almost ready.”

Markiplier went on to say his plan is to sell Iron Lung directly through YouTube. The video site already sells movies, of course, but they mostly come from big, established studios, whereas Markiplier self-financed Iron Lung and the movie in general exists outside the traditional studio system.

It sounds like Markiplier is working on something different here to help benefit other independent creators (and himself). But it remains to be seen what that system could be.

Markiplier also said he plans to release Iron Lung on Blu-ray and DVD, and he’s planning to acquire a disc-printing machine and produce copies at his own home for self-distribution to fans.

After the big success of Iron Lung, many are wondering if Markiplier will make another video game movie. He said he is passionate about filmmaking, but wants to avoid becoming “the games guy.”

In addition to financing Iron Lung, Markiplier starred in the movie, and he also wrote and directed it. The film is based on the independent game of the same name, created by David Szymanski.

Getty Images/Natasha Campos/Stringer

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