Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film King has secured a record overseas distribution deal ahead of its theatrical release.
Dubai-based Phars Films has reportedly acquired the film's international distribution rights for a minimum guarantee of Rs 175 crore, replacing Yash Raj Films (YRF), which was earlier expected to handle its overseas release.
According to an exclusive report by Pinkvilla, this is the highest overseas minimum guarantee ever offered for an Indian film, no Indian film has received an overseas minimum guarantee of Rs 100 crore before.
YRF Out, Phars Films In
YRF was initially set to distribute King internationally, continuing its association with Shah Rukh Khan's films. The production house previously handled the overseas releases of Pathaan, Jawan and Dunki. However, these films were released through commission-based deals, where the distributor earns a fee instead of paying a guaranteed amount upfront.
Phars Films made a much bigger offer, leading to the change in the distribution arrangement. The deal is also expected to reduce some of the financial risk for the film's producers, as Phars Films has committed a large amount before the movie reaches theatres.
Phars Films' Plans For Overseas Markets
Phars Films is expected to handle the Middle East distribution directly while selling the distribution rights for other international territories to local partners.
The company has already received a strong offer from Germany. North America and the UK are likely to see the biggest changes, as YRF previously handled these markets through its own offices. However, some regional distributors, originally expected to work with YRF, may continue with the project.
Phars Films earlier acquired the overseas rights to Prabhas' Saaho in 2019, working with YRF on its international release and handling the Middle East market.
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Can King Recover Its Investment?
Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan and Jawan each earned around $49 million overseas in 2023. To recover the reported Rs 175 crore investment, King will need to achieve a similar performance, with an estimated overseas collection target of $48-50 million.
Scheduled to hit theatres on December 24, 2026, King will arrive during the lucrative Christmas and New Year holiday season. However, the film will face competition from major Hollywood releases, including Avengers: Doomsday, Dune: Part Three and Jumanji 3, which could affect its screen availability and showtimes across key international markets.
Directed by Siddharth Anand, King is produced by Red Chillies Entertainment in association with Marflix Pictures. The film also stars Deepika Padukone, Suhana Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Rani Mukerji and Arshad Warsi alongside Shah Rukh Khan.
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