Rights holder / Distributor: China Film Group / Alibaba Pictures
Once upon a time in the Middle East is a 2026 Chinese anti-war comedy-drama film directed by Wen Mue according to the scenario of Wen Mue, Lan Qiungli and Jun Wei. It will premiere in China on August 11, 2026.
Xu Fu travels to the Middle East to work as a chef and help his family while trying to pay off his debts. There, he meets the manager of the Dragon Restaurant, Ma Junsheng, and the two gradually turn the establishment into a lively place that attracts people with its Chinese cuisine. When war reaches the city, the restaurant becomes a refuge for people caught in the middle of the conflict, and Xu Fu and Ma Junsheng are forced to risk everything to protect the community they have created.
Wen Mue takes an unusual starting point for a war story. Instead of focusing on soldiers and major battles, he observes how war changes the most ordinary everyday life of people. The restaurant becomes a natural meeting place for different people, and food remains a symbol of a normal life that gradually begins to seem increasingly difficult to maintain. This approach gives the film a more human scale and allows comedic moments to coexist alongside the serious consequences of the conflict.
Shen Tun carries the brunt as Xu Fu and builds a character who is not presented as a traditional action hero. Jiang Qiming is his partner in the restaurant, Ma Junsheng, and a relationship gradually develops between the two that drives much of the story. The international cast also includes Omar Sherif, Aarif Lee, Sharif Subhi, Ahmed Selim, Farouk Mohammed, Russell Shealy, Naira Al-Qasim, Karma Hazim, Wei Qing and Zhang Siwei. The combination of Chinese and Middle Eastern actors contributes to the feeling that the restaurant truly becomes a place where people of different backgrounds meet.
Once upon a time in the Middle East does not rely on heroic clichés to talk about war. Its strongest point is precisely the contrast between the simple desire to feed people and the chaos that gradually invades their lives. The story uses cuisine, friendship and everyday human relationships to show how easily normality can be destroyed. For viewers looking for a different kind of war film, the production offers a combination of comedy, drama and human history without turning the conflict into a mere spectacle. The film has already become a significant Chinese box office success, with international revenues exceeding $341 million as of early October, according to Box Office Mojo.
