Christmas week is becoming a stress test for India’s multiplex programming. Shah Rukh Khan’s King, directed by Siddharth Anand and set for December 24, is being positioned by domestic distributor Pen Marudhar to receive more screens than three Hollywood event films put together: Avengers: Doomsday, Dune: Part Three and Jumanji: Open World.
That is not a routine release negotiation. It is an attempt to reverse a scheduling logic where Hollywood’s franchise titles open earlier and build demand. According to a Bollywood Hungama report carried by Sacnilk, Disney has already begun talking to exhibitors about assured show counts for Avengers: Doomsday during Christmas week.
The release window
The calendar gives the imports a head start. Avengers: Doomsday arrives December 17, Dune: Part Three follows on December 18, and Jumanji: Open World lands on December 25. King enters on December 24, just as multiplexes must choose between honouring second-week commitments and riding a fresh local blockbuster.
- December 17: Avengers: Doomsday releases in India.
- December 18: Dune: Part Three opens.
- December 24: Shah Rukh Khan’s King arrives.
- December 25: Jumanji: Open World joins the frame.
The critical variable is premium formats and high-performing multiplex locations. Pre-committed show counts can shape the first weekend even before demand is fully visible.
Why Pen Marudhar is pushing this hard
The stakes are backed by real money. Pen Marudhar reportedly acquired King’s domestic theatrical rights for 250 crore, while Phars Films took overseas distribution rights in a 175 crore deal. Those numbers make distribution alone a capital-intensive bet, not just a marketing exercise.
Shah Rukh Khan’s return to cinemas after three years is the commercial engine here. The first song, Tu Mil Jaaye, has already entered the promotional cycle, alongside a cast that includes Deepika Padukone, Suhana Khan and Abhishek Bachchan.
What to watch
For audiences, the contest matters because it may determine how easy it is to find a premium show for either King or the Hollywood titles in the first three days. For the industry, it is a live case in whether a Hindi star vehicle can command more capacity than three global franchises negotiating at the same time.
The outcome will not be settled by distribution muscle alone. Advance bookings, holdover demand and the actual turnout at premium screens will decide how long any opening-week allocation survives. Disney’s concern is retaining sufficient shows in Avengers: Doomsday’s second week, precisely when King starts.
That makes Christmas week a screen-allocation story as much as a box-office story.
Source: Sacnilk
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