In a landmark moment for Muslim storytelling in North America, Time Hoppers: The Silk Road is set for a nationwide theatrical release across the United States, alongside special limited screenings in Canada.
For years, discussions within the North American Muslim community have centered on the need for meaningful representation in children’s media—stories that reflect Muslim history, values, and identity, Iqra.ca reported.
📚 Read Also: What About Literature for Muslim Children?
Often, families have relied on content that did not fully mirror their heritage.
That narrative is set to change this February.
Time Hoppers: The Silk Road will become the first Muslim animated feature film to receive theatrical distribution on this scale in the U.S. market.
While the 2018 film Bilal: A New Breed of Hero marked an important step with a limited release, Time Hoppers represents a significant expansion in accessibility and audience reach.
A Mission to Save History
Produced by Milo Productions Inc., the creators of a Muslim-focused children’s streaming service, the film is an ambitious 3D CGI adventure set in the year 2050.
The story follows four gifted students—Abdullah, Aysha, Khalid, and Layla—from the futuristic Aqli Academy in Vancouver.
After accidentally discovering a method of time travel, the group is transported to the famed House of Wisdom in 9th-century Baghdad.
Their journey takes a dramatic turn when they encounter Fasid, a rogue alchemist determined to alter history by erasing the achievements of the world’s greatest thinkers.
To stop him, the students race across the historic Silk Road, working to protect the scholars whose contributions laid the foundations of modern science.
Along the way, they encounter influential historical figures, including Al-Khawarizmi, Maryam al-Asturlabi, Fatimah al-Fihri, Ibn al-Haytham, and Mansa Musa.
By framing these encounters within a high-stakes time-travel narrative, the film presents the intellectual legacy of the Muslim world in an engaging and accessible way for younger audiences.
The Power of Storytelling
The film represents the culmination of a project more than a decade in the making. Its origins trace back to early research that later became a popular educational video game for Muslim children.
That foundation has now evolved into an 85-minute cinematic production featuring the voices of well-known community figures, including Dr. Omar Suleiman, Dalia Mogahed, Omar Regan, and Ali Ardekani (Baba Ali).
In Canada, the film’s release will be limited to select cinemas.
Distributors have indicated that strong ticket sales during the opening weekend of February 7–8, 2026, could lead to wider screenings.
Organizers describe the release as a pivotal moment, emphasising that audience turnout may influence future investment in similar projects.
As Time Hoppers: The Silk Road reaches theaters, it signals a growing presence for authentic Muslim narratives in mainstream cinema—and the possibility of more milestones to come.