The King of Laughter

The King of Laughter (Qui rido io) is a 2021 Italian-Spanish biographical drama film directed by Mario Martone about actor and playwright Eduardo Scarpetta's legal battle against Gabriele D'Annunzio over his parody of the latter's The Daughter of Iorio (1904). Toni Servillo stars as Scarpetta.

The film was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 78th Venice International Film Festival.

Reception
The King of Laughter has an approval rating of 67% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 9 reviews, and an average rating of 6/10.

Reviewing the film for Variety at the Venice Film Festival, Guy Lodge wrote, "Martone’s film certainly appears to channel the spirit of Scarpetta, though its 18-course tribute banquet doesn’t leave you particularly hungry to investigate further."