Shah Rukh Khan has shared a new poster for his upcoming film King, and the message is hard to miss: he is a lover, not a killer. The poster shows the 60-year-old star walking through flames with a red rose between his lips and a gun in his hand. Khan posted the image on Instagram on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, just days before his 61st birthday on November 2. The film is scheduled to reach cinemas worldwide on December 24, 2026.
The new artwork mixes romance with heavy action imagery. It also brings back a famous line from Khan’s 1999 film Baadshah, giving longtime viewers a familiar reference point. The poster arrives as the film’s trailer is still awaited, and Khan has addressed that wait in his own words.
What the new King poster shows
The poster places Khan in a fire-lit setting. He wears a dark, unbuttoned shirt that shows a bloodied chest. His hair is grey, and his expression is serious. A gun sits in one hand, while the rose stays between his lips.
The image blends two very different ideas in one frame. The rose points to romance, and the gun points to violence. Khan’s caption ties the two together directly. The poster also confirms that King will keep its December 24, 2026 release date, ending talk that the film might move.
Shah Rukh Khan’s caption and the Baadshah link
Khan shared the poster with a short line in Hindi. The caption reads:
“Aaj phir yaad aaya… Qaatil nahi… Aashiq hoon… #KING In cinemas 24.12.26.”
The line translates to: “It came back to me again today… I am not a killer, I am a lover.” The phrase flips a well-known lyric from the title track of Baadshah, which goes, “Aashiq hoon main, kaatil bhi hoon” (I am a lover, I am also a killer). The new caption drops the “killer” half and keeps only the lover.
This is not the first time King has used a strong one-line message. The film’s title was announced on November 2, 2025, on Khan’s 60th birthday. That first look showed him with silver hair and carried the line, “Darr nahi, dehshat hoon” (I am not fear, I am terror). The makers confirmed the release date in January 2026.
King release date, budget and streaming details
King will open in theatres on December 24, 2026, across India and global markets. The Christmas window puts the film close to major Hollywood titles. Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three are both set to arrive around December 18, 2026, about a week earlier.
Reports place the film’s budget between ₹350 crore and ₹400 crore. Distribution company Pen Marudhar reportedly bought the all-India theatrical rights for ₹250 crore. Streaming rights are reported to have gone to Netflix for a record sum, though an official date for the digital release has not been shared.
King cast: Suhana Khan, Deepika Padukone and more
King brings a large cast together. Suhana Khan, Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter, appears in the film. This is the first time father and daughter share screen space. Suhana made her acting debut with The Archies in 2023.
Deepika Padukone also stars in the film, returning alongside Khan after their earlier projects. Abhishek Bachchan plays the main negative role, described in reports as a dangerous character. Rani Mukerji, Anil Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Jaideep Ahlawat, Jackie Shroff, Raghav Juyal, Saurabh Shukla and Abhay Verma are also part of the ensemble.
Siddharth Anand directs the film. He earlier worked with Khan on Pathaan in 2023. King is produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and Marflix Pictures. The story is said to follow a mentor and a student who fight to survive in hard conditions.
Fan reactions: praise and a copy claim
Fan replies under the poster mixed excitement with sharp comments. Some focused on Khan’s star power, while others compared the image to another film’s poster.
“The KING… Brand.”
“Biggest Tsunami is Loading.”
“The One & Only King of Bollywood!”
A few social media users said the King poster looked similar to the poster of Dhurandhar 2, the sequel to the 2025 film Dhurandhar. One user wrote that the official King poster had been copied from the Dhurandhar 2 poster. Another reply pushed back, saying that two posters looking alike is not proof of copying. These are user comments, not confirmed claims from either film’s team.
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Trailer update from Shah Rukh Khan
The film’s trailer has not been released yet. Khan answered questions about the delay during a recent AskSRK session on social media. He said the team was focused on making a film that meets expectations.
“Ab picture hi dekho na! Tarsa nahi raha, achhi wali bana raha hoon… ke dil ko tasalli mile… Sab ayega… 24th Dec se pehle.”
The reply means Khan is not holding back material on purpose and that promotional content will arrive before December 24. The new poster keeps attention on the film while the trailer date remains unannounced.
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