// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did "Once Upon a Time" say to its rival? You're just a tale behind.

"Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events.

Once Upon a Time may also refer to:

Film

Donkey Skin (film), a 1970 French film also known in English as Once Upon a Time or The Magic Donkey
Once Upon a Time (1918 film), a British silent romance directed by Thomas Bentley
Once Upon a Time (1933 film), a French drama film
Once Upon a Time (1944 film), an American fantasy starring Cary Grant
Once Upon a Time (1973 film), a West German animated musical written and directed by Roberto Gavioli and Rolf Kauka
Once Upon a Time (1995 film), a Thai drama
Once Upon a Time (2008 film), a South Korean heist comedy
Once Upon a Time (2013 film), an Indian Malayalam animated film directed by Binu Sasidharan
Once Upon a Time (2017 Chinese film), a Chinese romantic drama
Once Upon a Time (2017 Russian film), a Russian comedy-drama film
Once Upon a Time film trilogy by Sergio Leone, consisting of:
- Once Upon a Time in the West, a 1968 epic Western film
- Duck, You Sucker!, a 1971 epic Western film
- Once Upon a Time in America, a 1984 epic crime drama film
Windaria, a 1986 Japanese anime film also known in English as Once Upon a Time or Legend of Fabulous Battle Windaria

Once Upon a Time (TV series), a 2011 American fantasy drama
- Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, a spin-off of Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time..., a French educational animation franchise
- Once Upon a Time... Man, in 1978
- Once Upon a Time... Space, in 1982
- Once Upon a Time... Life, in 1987
- Once Upon a Time... The Americas, in 1991
- Once Upon a Time... The Discoverers, in 1994
- Once Upon a Time... The Explorers, in 1996
- Once Upon a Time... Planet Earth, in 2008
Once Upon a Time, Granada TV series from 1979–1983, featuring Peter Davison
"Once Upon a Time" (The Prisoner), a 1968 episode of the allegorical science-fiction series The Prisoner
"Once Upon a Time" (The Twilight Zone), a 1961 episode of the anthology series The Twilight Zone
"Once Upon a Time", a 1995 television special of the PBS show Shining Time Station
"Once Upon a Time" (Star Trek: Voyager), a 1998 episode of the science-fiction series Star Trek: Voyager
"Once Upon a Time" (Charmed), a 2000 episode of the fantasy series Charmed
"Once Upon a Time...", a 2011 episode of the drama series Dexter
Wansapanataym (Filipinization of the phrase, "once upon a time"), a Philippine fantasy anthology
"Once Upon a Time..." (The Night Agent), a 2026 episode of the action thriller series The Night Agent

Once Upon a Time, an 1854 collection by Charles Knight
Once Upon a Time (Italian: C'era una volta), 1882 collection by Luigi Capuana
Once Upon a Time, 1897 collection by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman
Once Upon a Time, 1910 novel by Richard Harding Davis
Once Upon a Time, 1918 play by Rachel Crothers
Once Upon a Time: A Book of Old-Time Fairy Tales, 1921 collection edited by Katharine Lee Bates
"Once Upon a Time", poem by Nigerian writer Gabriel Okara, featured in his 1978 collection The Fisherman's Invocation
Once Upon a Time, 1986 novel by Lucy Gordon
Once Upon a Time, 1989–1992 series of novels by Kay Hooper
Once Upon a Time: A Treasury of Modern Fairy Tales, 1991 collection edited by Lester del Rey and Risa Kessler
Once Upon a Time, 1992 novel by Rebecca Flanders
Once Upon a Time, 1993 children's book by John Prater and Vivian French
Once Upon a Time, 1993 collection by Alan Garner
Once Upon a Time: A Floating Opera, 1994 novel by John Barth
Once Upon a Time, 1997 novel by Francine Pascal, the 132nd installment in the Sweet Valley High series
Once Upon a Time, 2000 omnibus of four novels by Irene Brand, Lynn A. Coleman, Yvonne Lehman and Gail Gaymer Martin
Once Upon a Time, 2002 novel by Barbara Fradkin
Once Upon a Time (novel series), 2002–2010 series of novels by Simon Pulse
Once Upon a Time, 2004 graphic novel by Serena Valentino

"Once Upon a Time" (Air song), from the 2007 album Pocket Symphony
"Once Upon a Time" (Charles Strouse and Lee Adams song), from the 1962 musical All American
"Once Upon a Time" (Jimmy Johnson song) recorded by Rochell & the Candles in 1960
"Once Upon a Time" (Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells song), from the 1964 duet album Together
"Once Upon a Time" (The Pogues song), from the 1993 album Waiting for Herb
"Once Upon a Time", one of the songs written by Cole Porter
"Once Upon A Time", by Anup Rubens, Mukesh Mohamed and Ramya NSK from the 2016 Indian film Uyire Uyire
"Once Upon a Time", by Donna Summer from the 1977 album Once Upon a Time
"Once Upon a Time", by Kamelot from their 2010 album Poetry for the Poisoned
"Once Upon a Time", by Jimmy Nail from the 1994 album Crocodile Shoes
"Once Upon a Time", by Simple Minds from the 1985 Once Upon a Time album
"Once Upon a Time", by the Linda Lindas from the 2024 album No Obligation
"Once Upon a Time", by the Smashing Pumpkins from the 1998 album Adore
"Once Upon a Time", by Toby Fox from the soundtrack of the 2015 video game Undertale
"Once Upon a Time", by the Vels from the 1986 album House of Miracles

Once Upon a Time (Disney parks), a US–Japan video projection show
Once Upon a Time (Devon theme park), a former attraction in England, UK
Once Upon a Time (game), a family, storytelling-themed card game
"Once Upon a Time", a painting series by Johannes Heisig
"Once Upon a Time", the signature phrase of the eccentric Australian businessman and philanthropist W.A. Crowle, who used it as the name of one of his residences and a halfway house that he established in Sydney