The movie begins with Henry DeTamble (Sam Worthington), a young man who works at a museum in New York City. Henry's life changes when he receives a mysterious egg-shaped object from his estranged father. The object turns out to be a portal that leads to the center of the Earth. Henry, along with his friend Minnie (Diane Kruger) and her brother Jake (Josh Hutcherson), embark on a perilous journey to the center of the Earth.