The Man Who Would Be King
“Adventure in all its glory!”
Synopsis
Tired of life as soldiers, Peachy Carnehan and Danny Dravot travel to the isolated land of Kafiristan, where they are ultimately embraced by the people and revered as rulers. After a series of misunderstandings, the natives come to believe that Dravot is a god, but he and Carnehan can't keep up their deception forever.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Imprint Blu-ray TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2025-06-23
Top Cast
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Sean Connery
Daniel Dravot
Michael Caine
Peachy Carnehan
Christopher Plummer
Rudyard Kipling
Saeed Jaffrey
Billy Fish
Doghmi Larbi
Ootah
Jack May
District Commissioner
Karroom Ben Bouih
Kafu Selim
Mohammad Shamsi
Babu
Albert Moses
Ghulam
Paul Antrim
Mulvaney
Graham Acres
Officer
Shakira Caine
Roxanne
Nadia Atbib
Dancer (uncredited)
Yvonne Ocampo
Dancer (uncredited)
Gurmuks Singh
Sikh Soldier (uncredited)
Kimat Singh
Sikh Soldier (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
December 17, 1975
Wide Cinema Exhibition
May 24, 1999
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$8M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$13K
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0x
-$8M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- John Huston
- Screenplay & Story
- Gladys Hill, John Huston
- Original Score
- Maurice Jarre
- Original Title
- The Man Who Would Be King
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom, United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- Arabic, English, Urdu
- Runtime
- 2h 9m
- Production Budget
- $8M
- Worldwide Gross
- $13K
- Production Studios
- Persky-Bright Productions, Devon/Persky-Bright, Columbia Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
John Huston
Gladys Hill, John Huston, Rudyard Kipling
Maurice Jarre
Oswald Morris
Russell Lloyd
John Foreman
Department Leadership Roster
Gladys Hill
Screenplay
Maurice Jarre
Original Music Composer
Oswald Morris
Director of Photography
John Huston
Director
John Foreman
Producer
John Huston
Screenplay
Russell Lloyd
Editor
Alexandre Trauner
Production Design
M. James Arnett
Stunt Coordinator
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Man Who Would Be King.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Man Who Would Be King.
TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:30:01 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Man Who Would Be King
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Man Who Would Be King about?
Tired of life as soldiers, Peachy Carnehan and Danny Dravot travel to the isolated land of Kafiristan, where they are ultimately embraced by the people and revered as rulers. After a series of misunderstandings, the natives come to believe that Dravot is a god, but he and Carnehan can't keep up their deception forever.
Who directed The Man Who Would Be King?
The Man Who Would Be King was directed by John Huston.
Who stars in The Man Who Would Be King?
The principal cast of The Man Who Would Be King includes Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer, Saeed Jaffrey, Doghmi Larbi.
When was The Man Who Would Be King released and how long is it?
The Man Who Would Be King was released in 1975 with a total runtime of 2h 9m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Man Who Would Be King?
The Man Who Would Be King had a reported production budget of $8M and grossed $13K at the worldwide box office (0 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for The Man Who Would Be King?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Man Who Would Be King was composed by Maurice Jarre.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Man Who Would Be King?
The Man Who Would Be King holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.); US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).