Shah Rukh Khan’s King: Release Date, Cast, Story and Budget

Shah Rukh Khan’s King is scheduled to release in theatres on 24 December 2026, Christmas Eve. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the action thriller co-stars his daughter Suhana Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji. Here is what has been officially confirmed about the film so far.

King release date

Red Chillies Entertainment announced the 24 December 2026 date on Instagram in April 2026 with a short teaser, as reported by WION. Besides Hindi, the film is set to release in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and English dubbed versions, according to its Wikipedia page.

The holiday slot gives King a long run through Christmas and New Year. In India, it will follow Ramayana: Part 1, which opens on 8 November.

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King at a glance

King cast

The film has a large ensemble. The confirmed cast includes:

• Shah Rukh Khan in the lead
• Suhana Khan, in her first theatrical release after Netflix’s The Archies (2023)
• Abhishek Bachchan as the main antagonist
• Deepika Padukone, reuniting with Shah Rukh after Pathaan and Jawan
• Rani Mukerji, reported to play Suhana’s mother
• Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff
• Arshad Warsi, Jaideep Ahlawat, Raghav Juyal, Abhay Verma and Saurabh Shukla

What is King about?

The makers have not officially released a plot. According to reports compiled on Wikipedia, Shah Rukh plays a skilled assassin and Suhana plays his apprentice. Some reports have said the film is inspired by Luc Besson’s 1994 film Léon: The Professional, but this has not been confirmed by the team.

The title and first look were revealed on 2 November 2025, Shah Rukh’s 60th birthday. The poster showed him with salt-and-pepper hair, a sharp change from his look in Pathaan and Jawan.

Director and producers

Siddharth Anand, who directed War, Pathaan and Fighter, is directing King and co-wrote the screenplay. Sujoy Ghosh was originally attached as director and co-wrote the script, but Anand took over in December 2024.

The film is produced by Gauri Khan, Siddharth Anand, Mamta Anand and Hamza Qureshi under Red Chillies Entertainment and Marflix Pictures. Pen Marudhar is distributing the film in India, and Yash Raj Films is handling the overseas release.

Anand has built a reputation for large-scale action films. War (2019) paired Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff, Pathaan (2023) brought Shah Rukh back to lead roles, and Fighter (2024) starred Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone. King is his second film with Shah Rukh.

Suhana Khan’s first big-screen role

Suhana Khan made her acting debut in Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies, which released directly on Netflix in December 2023. King is her first film made for cinemas, and the first time she shares the screen with her father in a feature film.

Her role is significant to the story. According to reports, she plays an apprentice to Shah Rukh’s character, which puts her at the centre of the film rather than in a supporting part.

King budget

King’s budget is reported at about ₹450 crore, according to a Bollywood Hungama report from July 2026. The makers have not confirmed the figure. One action sequence shot in Gdańsk, Poland, featuring Shah Rukh and Abhishek, was reportedly mounted on about ₹50 crore.

Shooting locations

Filming began in May 2025 at Mehboob Studios in Mumbai. The team then shot in Mumbai, Warsaw, Gdańsk and Cape Town. A planned desert schedule in Dubai was cancelled in March 2026 because of tensions in the Middle East and shifted to Mumbai. The shoot entered its final phase in August 2026.

King music

Anirudh Ravichander, who scored Jawan, has composed the background score and co-composed the songs with Sachin-Jigar. A short track titled They Call Him King, sung by Anirudh, is part of the album. Reports about a contribution from Ed Sheeran remain unconfirmed.

When will King come on OTT?

King is a theatrical release first. The makers have not announced a streaming partner or an OTT date yet. Big Hindi films often arrive on streaming platforms around eight weeks after their theatrical release, but each deal is different, so it is best to wait for an official announcement.

Why King matters for Shah Rukh Khan

King is Shah Rukh’s first film in a lead role since Dunki in December 2023. His two other 2023 films, Pathaan and Jawan, both crossed ₹1,000 crore worldwide, and he won his first National Film Award for Best Actor for Jawan in 2025, shared with Vikrant Massey. Expectations are high, but the film’s box office result will only be known after release.

Follow our celebs section for Shah Rukh Khan updates, and our Bollywood page for news on King’s trailer and songs.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Wikipedia: King (2026 film), WION, ETV Bharat.