Hey Creatorverse readers,
“Iron Lung,” the directorial debut of Mark Fischbach, aka Markiplier (38 million YouTube subscribers), was supposed to get a limited theatrical release. But one comment telling fans to reach out to their local theaters if they wanted to see “Iron Lung” changed everything. A movie that Fischbach believed would show in 50 theaters premiered in 3,000 and made $17.8 million in its opening weekend — more than “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” or “Mercy” — and set the record for the highest opening weekend for a self-distributed film
“The movie became a social movement, a lot like the ‘Stranger Things’ finale,” Brooks LeBoeuf, head of content at Regal, told my colleague Jeremy Fuster. “The fans did the work of what multimillion marketing budgets do, and we were the benefactor by getting on first.”
Fischbach acknowledged that his self-financed movie is “a very exceptional case.” Not everyone has 38 million followers. But he also sees the success of “Iron Lung” as proof there’s a route for independent cinema to return. Instead of feeling beholden to a studio’s bottom line, Fischbach knew exactly how much “Iron Lung” cost to make and how much he needed to break even.
“If we reset our scales of what these things are — if you make something and it costs $200,000 and you made $500,000 and you do your split — you still got a profit,” Fischbach said. “YouTube is a lot like independent filmmaking, and I think that brings a different perspective to all this.”
Not every creator movie is a guaranteed hit. The disappointing returns for the Dude Perfect and Ryan’s World movies are proof enough of that. But movies like “Iron Lung” and Baron Ryan’s “Two Sleepy People” are approaching their distribution strategy differently by coming to theaters with modest expectations and asking fans to show theaters that they’re interested and willing to turn up for these movies. These grassroots efforts organically take advantage of creators’ audiences rather than hoping a big name on a poster is enough to generate ticket sales.
They also let creators maintain control over the all-important relationships with their audiences. The big difference between creators and more traditional celebrities is that creators know their audiences intimately. They know which commenters have been with them since Day 1 and understand engagement down to which shirt color produces more views. The big lesson from the success of Markiplier and “Iron Lung”? If you’re working with creators, actually listen to them. They know their fans best.
Now onto the rest.
Kayla Cobb
Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com
What’s New
Salish Matter is coming to Netflix
After making deals with Mark Rober and Alan Chikin Chow, Netflix is adding another massive creator name to its roster. Salish Matter and her dad Jordan Matter (34 million YouTube subscribers) signed a creative partnership with Netflix this week and will come to streaming this spring. The deal allows the father-daughter duo to create scripted, unscripted and animated series and includes a partnership on both consumer products and experiential offerings.
The Matter duo is known for creating both day-in-the-life and challenge-based content all starring Salish. She made headlines last year with the release of her Sincerely Yours skincare line, an event so big it brought in more than 80,000 fans and shut down a New Jersey mall.
Spain is the latest country to ban teens under the age of 16 on social media
Spain is following Australia’s lead, becoming the first European country to ban teenagers and children under the age of 16 from having social media accounts. The country will be employing strict age verification tools to enforce the ban, and the process to officially adopt this legislation will begin next week.
There’s been a major global crackdown on kids using social media. Both France and Denmark recently announced plans to ban accounts for users under the age of 15, and the U.K. is considering similar measures. As for the U.S., a lawsuit that names YouTube and Instagram and claims social media is addictive and harmful to children is underway. The parent companies behind Snapchat and TikTok settled out of court before the trial started.
Creators Against ICE launches campaign to raise $100,000
The humanitarian aid group Creators for Peace launched Creators Against ICE this week. The goal of the campaign is to raise $100,000 for the National Immigration Law Center to help provide legal help to impacted families. Creators like Jacksepticeye (31 million YouTube subscribers), Trisha Paytas (11 million TikTok followers) and Hassan Khadair (6 million TikTok followers) have backed the campaign.
Speaking of political creators, live streamer Hasan Piker (3 million Twitch followers) received a temporary ban on Twitch after using the phrase “rabid ultra-Zionist pigs” while discussing the practice of using lists to keep track of anti-ICE protesters. Piker moved his stream to YouTube, and his Twitch channel is now back.
@romeosshow Replying to @vitacoco this would go crazy with some steel drums. #vitacoco #coconutwater #beverage #jingle ♬ original sound – Romeo
Before the Big Game
Romeo is the Super Bowl’s it girl
Romeo (1.3 million TikTok followers) blew up earlier this year for her viral Dr. Pepper jingle, a tune so catchy that the soda company turned it into a commercial. After creating another jingle for Vita Coco, the coconut water brand is sending Romeo and six guests to the Super Bowl. The collaboration song has already surpassed 39 million views with Vita Coco adding over 130,000 TikTok followers. All because Romeo is low-key the queen of commercial jingles.
TikTok hashtags for Bad Bunny have increased by 35%
TikTokers are definitely psyched about the Super Bowl halftime performance. Since it was announced that Bad Bunny would be performing, #badbunny has seen a 35% increase on the app. There’s also been a trend of TikTok users learning Spanish to prepare for the performance.
MrBeast and Salesforce are up to something big
Roughly a month ago, MrBeast (465 million YouTube subscribers) tweeted that he had an idea for a Super Bowl commercial but he needed $1 million. Salesforce stepped up to the challenge. We know very little about this collaboration, but based on the Slack-branded ads about it and Donaldson’s history of giving away millions, we’re prepared for something big. Buckle up.
Movers and Shakers
Creator-led studio behind “Date Everything!” signs with CAA
Sassy Chap Games, the creator-led gaming studio behind the viral game “Date Everything!” signed with CAA this week. The agency will help the studio expand its slate of original game IP into global entertainment franchises. Sassy Chap Games was founded by voice actors Robbie Daymond and Ray Chase.
X’s $1 million contest backfires
X made good on its promise to award $1 million to the article on its platform that generated the most engagement. A user by the handle of @beaverd took the prize for “Deloitte, a $74 billion cancer metastasized across America.” But of course, because this is X we’re talking about, the writer is now under fire for their history of racist and anti-immigrant posts. X also gave out an additional $1.15 million to runner ups.
Twitch introduces business manager role for streamers
Twitch streamers will now be able to turn over the business side of their channels to agents and managers within the platform. That’s because the live streaming hub unveiled its business manager role this week. It’s another offering that proves live streaming is really taking off.
@mariahcrose Everything that happened in sports this week in 2 mins (The Bad Bunny Bowl is THIS Weekend 🤭) #sportsnews #forthegirlies #badbunny #cardib #superbowl ♬ original sound – mariah rose
Who to Watch
Mariah Rose
If you need a guide to the Olympics who will tell it like it is, look no further than Mariah Rose (731,000 TikTok followers). Rose is part of NBC’s Creator Collective program for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games. But what sets her apart is how well informed and fun she is when breaking down the drama, deals and disruptions of the sporting world. Watching her content really does feel like grabbing a drink with one of your smartest sports-obsessed friends.
Bonus Content
- The Green Brothers Are Turning Crash Course Production Company Into a Nonprofit (via Mashable)
- Fanfiction’s Total Cultural Victory (via Defector)
- The San Francisco Standard Puts Out an Open Call for Creators (via San Francisco Standard)
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This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.