Actor Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming film King will be directed by his Pathaan director Siddharth Anand, the Bollywood star confirmed at an event held in Dubai’s Global Village recently.

Speaking at the event, Shah Rukh, who is celebrating 29 years in cinema, opened up about his journey in the film industry, his past works and his upcoming projects.

“I’m going to work very hard. I think the whole team with Siddharth Anand is going to work very hard and we’ll make a great film for everyone. I hope it entertains everyone,” the 59-year-old actor said about his next film King.

Previously, media reports suggested that the upcoming actioner will be helmed by filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh, while the action scenes will be choreographed by Siddharth.

Backed by Siddharth’s Marflix Pictures and Shah Rukh’s Red Chillies Entertainment, King is expected to arrive in theatres sometime this year or early 2026.

Abhishek Bachchan will play the antagonist in King, which reportedly also features Shah Rukh’s daughter Suhana Khan. Abhishek and Shah Rukh previously worked on several films together. These include Karan Johar-directed Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) and Farah Khan-helmed Happy New Year (2014). Suhana, on the other hand, made her acting debut with Zoya Akhtar’s Netflix musical film The Archies.

Released on January 25, 2023, Pathaan took the world by storm. Starring Shah Rukh, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, the espionage thriller grossed Rs 1,050 crore globally, making it one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of all time. Pathaan reinvigorated Bollywood after the pandemic, drawing audiences back to theatres.

Exactly one year later, on January 25, 2024, Anand returned with Fighter, India’s first aerial action film and the debut project of Marflix Studios. Featuring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone in lead roles, the film paid tribute to the valour of the Indian Air Force. With visually stunning aerial sequences and an emotional storyline, Fighter grossed Rs 344 crore worldwide.