Following on from the recent news that a 17-year-old YouTuber is adapting his own creepypasta series The Backrooms into a horror movie, Markiplier wants in on the action. Markiplier is one of the top 5 highest paid YouTube stars, with a reach of around 69 million across his various digital platforms, which includes podcasts.
Now, Markiplier, whose real name is Mark Fischbach, is adapting the submarine horror video game Iron Lung into a movie, according to Deadline. Markiplier is self-financing the project, which he is writing, directing and starring in. Actress Caroline Rose Kaplan, who has appeared in Orange is the New Black, is set to co-star.
Markiplier made his name on YouTube with his ‘Let’s Play’ video game reaction and commentary series, in which he would play horror games such as Five Nights at Freddy’s (which is also getting a movie adaptation). Video game movies and TV series are currently all the rage, with a truly mind-boggling number currently in development. The huge success of the Sonic and Super Mario animated movies, as well as prestige series such as The Last of Us means that they are only going to keep coming.
The Super Mario Movie is currently the number one movie of the year, with $720 million and counting. This is significantly more than the number 2 movie of the year, Ant-Man 3, which made $475 million. It looks as though the curse of the Hollywood game movie has finally been lifted.
Production has already begun on Markiplier’s Iron Lung in Austin, Texas. It’s based on a first-person immersion horror game released in 2022, developed by David Szymanski. The player controls an unnamed convict who explores an ocean of blood on a desolate moon in a rusty submarine. It’s set entirely within the claustrophobic one-room submarine, with minimal room to move around. It does sound like it will make a good low-budget horror film with just one or two cast-members.
Check out our guide to the best ghost movies.