Once Upon a Time in the Middle East
Eat well, stay alive.
Seeking a fresh start, chef Xu Fu travels to the Middle East to support his family and repay his debts. Alongside restaurant manager Ma Junsheng, he transforms the struggling Dragon Restaurant into a thriving business. But when war engulfs the city, their hard-won success is shattered and the restaurant becomes a refuge for those caught in the conflict. As danger closes in, Xu Fu must risk everything to protect his newfound community and preserve a small beacon of hope amid the devastation.
Directed by Wen Muye · Drama · War · 141 min · 2026
Trailer
Director
Wen Muye
Studio
Bad Monkey (Shanghai) 上海坏猴子 / 梦将军（上海）影业有限公司
Release
2026-08-08
Runtime
141 min
Genres
Drama, War
Cast & Characters
Xu Fu
Shen Teng
Ma Junsheng
Jiang Qiming
Seif
Omar Sherif
Tony
Aarif Rahman
Zayd
Sherif Sabry
Ali
Ahmed Salim
Did You Know?
Critical Assessment
Once Upon a Time in the Middle East holds 9.0/10 on TMDb (43 votes). IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes/Metacritic scores will populate automatically via the site's daily refresh once available.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of October 1, 2026
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on TMDb's aggregated score (9.0/10 on TMDb (43 votes)), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Once Upon a Time in the Middle East good? What are critics saying?+
Once Upon a Time in the Middle East holds 9.0/10 on TMDb (43 votes). IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes/Metacritic scores will populate automatically via the site's daily refresh once available.
How long is Once Upon a Time in the Middle East?+
Once Upon a Time in the Middle East has a runtime of 141 min.
Who directed Once Upon a Time in the Middle East?+
Once Upon a Time in the Middle East was directed by Wen Muye.
