Broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow introduces the film with a captivating prologue, showcasing historic footage from A Trip to the Moon (1902) by Georges Méliès, while hinting at the film’s inspiration from Jules Verne's novel From the Earth to the Moon. This opening sequence also includes exciting visuals of an unmanned rocket launch along with the earth slowly receding in the background.
Fast forward to the year 1872, and we meet the determined English gentleman, Phileas Fogg (Damien Frette), who boldly asserts that he can travel around the globe in just eighty days. Facing skepticism from his peers, he places a daring wager of £20,000, which equates to an impressive £2.3 million today, with four fellow members of the Reform Club—all contributing £5,000 each to the bet. The challenge is clear: he must return to the club exactly at 8:45 PM, eighty days from that moment.
Joined by his clever French valet, Passepartout (Julien Crampon), Fogg sets off on a whirlwind adventure, spending lavishly to expedite their journey across different continents, ensuring they meet the tight schedules of steamships. Upon reaching Paris, they learn of a blockage in a tunnel beneath the Alps. Their luck turns when a Thomas Cook agent offers them a hot air balloon for hire, which Fogg impulsively purchases, allowing them to soar over the Alps while sipping champagne.
However, fate has a sense of humor; the duo is unintentionally blown off-course to Spain, where they are treated to a delightful flamenco performance in a vibrant bar. Their journey continues with Passepartout engaging in a lively yet comedic bullfight. They next find themselves in Brindisi, Italy. Meanwhile, back in London, tensions rise as suspicions mount against Fogg, alleging he has embezzled £55,000 (around £6.2 million today) from the Bank of England. As a result, Police Inspector Fix (Céline Ronté) of Scotland Yard is dispatched to track him down, sparking a thrilling chase that starts in Suez.
The adventure takes an emotional turn in India, where Fogg and Passepartout rescue the lovely young widow, Aouda (Kaycie Chase), from a dire fate involving a funeral pyre. Their journey then spans Hong Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, and the Wild West, complete with encounters in Sioux Nation territories. Upon arriving in New York, they ingeniously secure passage on a cargo steamship destined for Venezuela, with Fogg bribing the captain to head back to England. Yet, their journey takes yet another unexpected twist when the ship runs out of coal. Fogg, unwilling to be deterred, buys the vessel outright and instructs the crew to burn everything non-essential for fuel.
Upon reaching Liverpool, Fogg’s hopes are dashed when he is instantly arrested by the diligent but mistaken Inspector Fix. Confined at the police station, the mortified Fix soon realizes that he has apprehended the wrong man, as the actual culprit has been caught in Brighton. Although free to leave, Fogg now finds himself against time, unable to return to London before the crucial wager deadline, seemingly losing everything but the love of the beautiful Aouda.
Back in London, Fogg instructs Passepartout to prepare for a church wedding the very next day, a Monday. However, a twist of fate occurs when Passepartout discovers that it is actually Sunday. This revelation propels Fogg to realize that by venturing eastward towards the rising sun and crossing the International Date Line, he has gained a day. With a renewed sense of urgency, he races against the clock to the Reform Club, arriving just in time to hear the 8:45 PM chime. To the astonishment of all present, Passepartout and Aouda join him, causing a stir as it is unprecedented for a woman to enter the Reform Club.
