Markiplier Gets Deep With ‘Iron Lung’ Video Game Adaptation
Mark Edward Fischbach, better known by the online handle Markiplier, is delving deeper into the entertainment industry. Markiplier is best known for his YouTube career, boasting over 34.7 million followers on the platform. He launched his channel in 2012 and gained prominence for gaming videos, especially his Five Nights at Freddy‘s series. By 2015, Markiplier had reached the 10 million subscriber milestone and became more ambitious with his projects.
In 2019, Markiplier released an interactive comedy special titled A Heist with Markiplier. The interactive film follows Markiplier and his assistant as they partake in a heist, allowing the audience to choose from a multitude of different endings. A Heist with Markiplier was very well-received by audiences, and even took home a Streamy Award for its creativity and script. As a result, Markiplier released a sequel last year, In Space With Markiplier. However, his latest project is even more ambitious: a video game adaptation.
Video game adaptations have been rising in popularity with the releases of The Last of Us and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Now, Markiplier is getting in on the trend with a film adaptation of the 2022 horror video game Iron Lung. Markiplier first confirmed he was making a film earlier this year, but refused to drop any hints about what it might be. As a result, fans were shocked and delighted when he announced his upcoming Iron Lung film alongside a trailer. Here’s everything we know about Iron Lung so far.
Iron Lung release window
So far, Iron Lung does not have a confirmed release date. However, Collider reported that filming is already underway in Texas, so a release date may not be that far off. After all, Markiplier is self-financing the film, and it’s not expected to be a huge production, though he’s reportedly planning a theatrical release. Still, with a fairly modest production, a 2024 or even late 2023 release date is possible.
Iron Lung trailer
Markiplier announced his Iron Lung film on April 21 by dropping the first official teaser trailer. The trailer is very much in keeping with the unnerving aspects of the horror video game: It features the swaying interior of the submarine—the Iron Lung—as a voice over a speaker or radio narrates its descent into the unknown. The audio is a bit difficult to catch, but the voice explains the submarine is heading toward maximum depth and offers a few warnings about the necessity to remain alert. There’s a sense of eeriness and foreboding as the voice becomes concerned about irregularities and loss of signal before the small light source and speaker in the submarine interior go out.
Iron Lung cast
Markiplier has confirmed that he is both directing and starring in Iron Lung. His role has not yet been disclosed, but he could be the Convict from the video game. In the game, the Convict is the sole playable character and is tasked with guiding a submarine to safety. The character doesn’t speak, and no details are known about them, making them a pretty flexible character to adapt.
In addition to Markiplier, The Plot Against America star Caroline Rose Kaplan will also appear in the film in an undisclosed role. Rounding out the cast is David Szymanski, the creator of the Iron Lung game. After the trailer’s release, Szymanski confirmed that he is very involved in the film, including assisting in the script and production. He also revealed that he will have a small cameo in the film.
Iron Lung plot
Iron Lung‘s plot details have not been confirmed. While it is to be an adaptation of the video game, it is unclear how closely it will follow the game, which has a fairly unusual plot. As stated above, the main character is an unnamed, mute Convict. Meanwhile, the game takes place in a futuristic world where very few humans are left after the disappearance of most of the universe’s planets and stars. Those deep in space were able to survive and discover a desolate moon with an ocean of blood on its surface. Believing that the moon may hold the key to humanity’s survival, a Convict is tasked with exploring the ocean in a small submarine called the Iron Lung. However, the submarine isn’t equipped for the trip, losing signal with the outside world and providing no exit or viewpoints outside the submarine.
As a result, the player has to navigate a blood ocean in a tiny submarine without the ability to even see where it’s heading—aside from a map, coordinates, and some photos. Iron Lung is very claustrophobic and also includes a few jump scares. While it’s a unique and intriguing concept for a game, the sparsity of the characters, details, and setting raise questions about a film adaptation.
However, Szymanski promised the adaptation will be “very wild,” which suggests it might be spruced up a bit from the game. Ultimately, only time will tell how successful Iron Lung is in its adaptation of Szymanski’s video game.
(featured image: Markiplier)
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