Shah Rukh Khan’s international box-office appeal has helped his upcoming film ‘King’ secure a reported overseas distribution deal worth Rs175 crore, setting a new benchmark for Indian cinema.
According to The Times of India, Dubai-based Phars Films has acquired the film’s overseas theatrical distribution rights through a minimum guarantee (MG) agreement of Rs175 crore, equivalent to more than $18 million.
The reported amount is the highest overseas distribution guarantee secured by an Indian film.
The deal marks a change in the film’s international distribution arrangement. Yash Raj Films, which previously handled the overseas releases of Khan’s ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Jawan’, had initially been expected to distribute ‘King’.
Phars Films has also worked with YRF on several projects and independently handled the overseas release of Prabhas-starrer ‘Saaho’.
The substantial agreement has also raised expectations for the film’s international box-office performance.
Overseas distributors typically receive around 50 per cent of a film’s gross collections. Based on that calculation, ‘King’ would need to earn approximately Rs350-375 crore, or $37-40 million, internationally just to break even.
Khan’s previous blockbusters ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Jawan’ each collected close to Rs400 crore in overseas markets. ‘King’ will therefore need to match or surpass those figures to make the reported distribution investment profitable.
The film faces a significant box-office target, with its international earnings needing to compete with major overseas performers such as ‘Dhurandhar 2’ and ‘RRR’, which reportedly collected Rs 460 crore and Rs430 crore respectively in international markets.
Directed by Siddharth Anand, ‘King’ reunites the filmmaker with Khan after their 2023 blockbuster ‘Pathaan’. The cast also features Deepika Padukone, Suhana Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Jaideep Ahlawat, Raghav Juyal and Saurabh Shukla.
The project will mark the first time Khan and his daughter Suhana share the screen. Suhana made her acting debut in 2023 with ‘The Archies’.
‘King’ is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on 24 December 2026.
