
During the filming of King of Comedy, Scorsese was battling health issues. He had been hospitalized due to exhaustion and pneumonia, having filmed multiple movies in quick succession. Despite this, first-time producer Arnon Milchan urged him to start shooting King of Comedy a month early because of an impending directors’ strike. In his 2004 book, Scorsese on Scorsese, the director mentioned that one particularly challenging scene involved Pupkin visiting Langford’s home, stating it took two weeks and was incredibly difficult due to its intense nature.
The film was released by 20th Century Fox in theaters on February 13, 1983. Critics were impressed with the movie, with THR labeling it as a significant accomplishment for everyone involved. However, the grim film didn’t perform well at the box office, earning only $2.5 million ($8.4 million in today’s currency). Scorsese later commented that American audiences found The King of Comedy confusing and saw De Niro as a mannequin. But he believed it was De Niro’s finest performance ever.