Shah Rukh Khan's big-budget King is out on December 24.
King is directed by Siddharth Anand.
The film also stars Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Jaideep Ahlawat and Raghav Juyal.
Ahead of its global theatrical debut, Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming feature King has locked in a record-breaking international distribution agreement. Dubai-headquartered Phars Films has reportedly nabbed the movie's overseas distribution rights under a massive ₹175 crore Minimum Guarantee (MG), taking over international release duties from Yash Raj Films (YRF), which was previously slated to handle the title worldwide.
No Indian film has reached the ₹100 crore mark so far, which renders this achievement staggering.A distributor’s Minimum Guarantee (MG) suggests deep commercial confidence in a film’s theatrical run. Because international distributors typically retain only 50% of the box office gross, King needs a massive overseas haul of $37–40 million (approx. ₹350–375 crore) merely to recuperate costs. For context, Shah Rukh Khan’s record-breaking blockbusters Pathaan and Jawan capped their foreign runs near the ₹400 crore benchmark, a bar King must match or cross to turn a profit. Ultimately, to justify such a staggering MG investment, the film will have to rival legendary overseas earners like RRR (₹430 crore) or Dhurandhar 2 (₹460 crore), positioning it among the highest-grossing Indian titles of all time internationally.
Yash Raj Films (YRF) was originally positioned to manage the global rollout of King, extending its long-standing international partnership with Shah Rukh Khan following Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki. However, unlike the fixed upfront payout of the current deal, those prior titles were handled via traditional commission-based agreements, where YRF collected a percentage fee on box-office returns rather than ensuring a fixed sum upfront.
King Cast, Release Details
Helmed by Siddharth Anand, King marks his latest collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan following their 2023 blockbuster Pathaan. The star-studded project brings Shah Rukh on screen with his daughter Suhana Khan. It's her first feature film since her 2023 debut The Archies, alongside a prominent cast featuring Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Jaideep Ahlawat, Raghav Juyal, and Saurabh Shukla. King is slated for a worldwide Christmas Eve theatrical release on December 24.
