Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming film King has reportedly set a new record for overseas theatrical rights after Phars Films acquired its international distribution rights for 175 crore rupees, raising expectations for the film’s box-office performance when it arrives in cinemas on December 24.
According to a report by Pinkvilla, the deal involves a minimum guarantee of 175 crore rupees, equivalent to more than $18 million. The figure marks a significant increase on previous overseas distribution deals for Indian films, none of which have crossed the Rs 100 crore mark, the report said.
Until now, Yash Raj Films has handled the international distribution of Shah Rukh’s films, including Pathaan and Jawan, both released in 2023. Phars Films has previously worked alongside YRF on several titles and independently distributed Prabhas-starrer Saaho.
The 175 crore rupees minimum guarantee reflects the distributor’s confidence in the film’s potential box-office performance. However, it also sets a high financial target.
Since overseas distributors typically retain around 50 per cent of gross collections, King would need to earn approximately $37 million to $40 million, or 350 crore rupees to 375 crore rupees, internationally just to break even.
For comparison, Shah Rukh’s biggest recent hits, Pathaan and Jawan, each collected close to 400 crore rupees overseas. King would therefore need to match or exceed those figures to generate a profit from the deal.
The film’s international earnings would also need to approach the collections of some of Indian cinema’s biggest overseas performers, including Dhurandhar 2, which reportedly earned 460 crore rupees, and RRR, which collected 430 crore rupees.
Directed by Siddharth Anand, King reunites the filmmaker with Shah Rukh Khan following the success of Pathaan in 2023.
The film features an ensemble cast that includes Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Jaideep Ahlawat, Raghav Juyal and Saurabh Shukla.
It will also mark the first time Shah Rukh shares the screen with his daughter, Suhana Khan, who made her acting debut in The Archies in 2023.