Fans of the King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, can finally rest easy as the date for the release of the actor’s highly-anticipated action movie, King has been announced. The superstar revealed the official release date for his upcoming film by posting a teaser through his Instagram account. This update comes after months of speculation, leaked photos from sets, and various rumours circulating on social media.
When is King releasing?
It is now confirmed that director Siddharth Anand’s film will arrive in cinemas on 24 December 2026. The timing of this announcement aligns with the three-year anniversary of the actor’s hit film Pathaan. By choosing a Christmas Eve slot, the producers are clearly aiming to draw the holiday crowd and attempting to take advantage of the lucrative festive window.
A new look and a darker tone
Along with the date, the makers released a short teaser that gives a better look at Shah Rukh Khan’s character. The actor posted the teaser on his official Instagram account with the caption: “#KING is Ready to ROAR on 24.12.2026 in Cinemas”
At the first look of the teaser, SRK appears with a rugged and worn look – sporting a grey beard and silver-streaked hair. The teaser itself features a particularly gritty line – spoken by Khan – that has already gained an ‘instant classic’ status: “Darr nahi, dehshat hoon” (I am not fear, I am terror). With a haunting rendition of ‘Tere Bina’ playing forebodingly in the background, the moodier tone is immediately apparent.
The video immediately went viral, collecting over 262k likes and 11k comments – less than an hour after being posted – with fans celebrating the return of the ‘King of Bollywood’ and expressing excitement at the gloomy tone. The movie is reportedly inspired by the 1994 French classic Léon: The Professional. In this version, Shah Rukh Khan plays a lethal assassin or don who ends up mentoring a young woman through a dangerous situation.
A massive cast and production
King is one of the most expensive projects in Indian cinema in recent years, with a reported budget of around Rs 350 crore. It is directed by Siddharth Anand, who previously worked with SRK on Pathaan. This film is also generating a lot of buzz because it features the big-screen debut of Shah Rukh’s daughter, Suhana Khan, who plays the lead role alongside her father.
The rest of the cast is also quite strong. Abhishek Bachchan has been cast to play the main antagonist, which fans are looking forward to since he’s done a great job with similar roles in the past. Deepika Padukone is in the film as well for a special appearance, which will be the sixth time she has worked with Shah Rukh Khan. Other well-known actors in the movie include Anil Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Rani Mukerji.