Mumbai: Shah Rukh Khan's 'King' has become a talking point well before release. Trade reports say the film has locked in about ₹665 crore of business roughly two months ahead of its theatrical run — a figure the makers have not confirmed.
The overseas distribution deal with Furs Films is reported at a minimum guarantee of ₹175 crore. No Indian film has previously signed an overseas deal above ₹100 crore, according to these reports.
India theatrical rights have gone to Pen Marudhar for ₹250 crore, the reports say, and Netflix has picked up digital rights for ₹150 crore. That last number is described as elastic: it can rise if the film performs at the box office and fall if it does not.
Satellite rights are reported at ₹25 crore and music at ₹65 crore. Together, they produce the ₹665 crore headline.
The cost side is equally steep. The reports say Khan has put about ₹300 crore of his own into the production, with roughly ₹50 crore earmarked for promotion and marketing. Add his fee and the budget is said to cross ₹450 crore, which would mean the film needs about ₹550 crore in net collections to turn a profit.
A song from the film was released on Khan's 61st birthday, and anticipation has built since. 'King' is a multi-starrer, though the rest of the cast has not been announced.
Trade watchers caution that pre-release deals and box office collections are different animals. A ₹665 crore paperwork number tells you what distributors expect, not what audiences will pay. The first week after release will settle that.
What the numbers do reveal is the scale at which a Khan film is now financed, with much of the risk transferred before a trailer is out.