The release date of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s long-awaited next film ‘King’ has been set for 2026.
‘King’ reunites Khan with ‘Pattern’ director Siddharth Anand and marks the superstar’s first theatrical release in three years. The cast also includes Khan’s daughter Suhana Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Arshad Warsi and Rani Mukerji.
The screenwriters of this action thriller include Sujoy Ghosh, Anand, Suresh Nehru, Sagar Pandya and Abbas Tirewala. The film is produced by Gauri Khan, Siddharth Anand and Mamta Anand of Red Chillies Entertainment and Marflix Pictures.
“King” is scheduled to be released on December 24th.
Khan, often referred to by his initials SRK, has been a dominant presence in Bollywood since his breakthrough role in the 1993 thriller Baazigar. His charisma and versatility quickly established him as a leading man, cementing his status as Bollywood’s ‘King of Romance’ with romantic comedies like ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ (1995).
In the ’90s and early 2000s, Khan’s star power seemed unstoppable. He gave a string of hits including ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ (1998), ‘Devdas’ (2002) and ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ (2003). These films not only dominated the domestic market, but also found a large audience in the Indian diaspora and helped expand Bollywood’s global footprint. In particular, his 1998 film Dil Se became the first Indian film to rank in the UK box office top 10, demonstrating the growing international appeal of Bollywood.
But Khan’s career has not been without its challenges. The mid-2010s saw a string of commercially disappointing films, including ‘Fan’ (2016), ‘Zero’ (2018) and ‘Jab Harry Met Sejal’ (2017). These setbacks have led to speculation that the actor’s reign at the top is coming to an end.
But true to his nature, Khan showed resilience. 2023 saw a triumphant return after a four-year hiatus with three major releases: ‘Pathaan’, ‘Jawan’ and ‘Dunki’. Both “Pattern” and “Jawan” went on to become among the highest-grossing films in India’s history, reaffirming Khan’s enduring appeal and his ability to evolve with changing audience tastes.
In 2024, Khan received the Career Achievement Award at the Locarno Film Festival.
The King is IMDb’s most anticipated Indian movie of 2026.
