Once Upon a Time in a Cinema is a 2026 Irish comedy-drama film, written and directed by David Gleeson and starring Colin Morgan, Calam Lynch, Niamh Cusack, India Mullen, Stanley Townsend, and Liam O'Brien.
Plot
In the 1980s, a movie theatre owner/manager (Colin Morgan) and his fellow employees are under siege from burst pipes, rodents, unruly customers, ageing equipment, inebriated projectionists, financial pressure and the unstoppable march of new technology in the form of the dreaded Video Home System (VHS) tape machine. Told in real time during a movie playing (Breathless, starring Richard Gere).
Production It was announced in 2024 that David Gleeson was returning to his native home in Limerick, Ireland to begin shooting his next feature film One Night Only, a collaboration between Ireland and Belgium. It was announced that Calam Lynch would star alongside his mother Niamh Cusack.
Filming took place in the old Royal Cinema in Limerick, which had been closed for almost three decades. The cinema was opened and re-constructed for the film. Gleeson set the film in a cinema as it reminded him of the cinema his family owned in his youth. Over 150 extras were brought on. Nathalie Lichtenthaeler & Judy Tossell of Wide Eye Films produced, with Primetime Emmy Award Nominee Kirk D'Amico joining also. Shooting took place between November 11th to December 6th. The film was co-financed by Screen Ireland.
Cast
Release U.S. distribution company Myriad Pictures sold the picture to distributors including A Contracorriente Films (Spain), Cinemundo (Portugal), Break Out Pictures (Ireland ), Rialto Distribution (Australia) and Tanweer Productions (Greece).
The Dublin International Film Festival selected Once Upon a Time in a Cinema to be the opening film at their 2026 event. The film was released in cinemas on 1 May 2026. In April 2026, the film was given its Limerick premiere in the Royal Theatre, the same theatre the film was shot in. David Gleeson said he felt they had "made history", stating he believes they might be the first movie to screen in the same building it was shot.
Critical reception Reviews for the film were mostly positive, with many critics praising its witty humour and heartfelt story. Screen Daily called the film a "nostalgic 1980's drama". Film Ireland claimed the feature was "an immersive trip back in time to the days when a weekly visit, preferably Friday night, to the local cinema was de rigueur" and that there was a "real sense of fun" when watching the picture.
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