The movie begins with Jack (Nicholas Hoult), a kind-hearted but poor farm boy who lives with his mother (Eleanor Tomlinson) in a small village. One day, Jack is sent to the market to sell their only cow, but he meets a strange man (Ian McShane) who offers to trade him magic beans for the cow. Despite his mother's disapproval, Jack makes the trade, and the beans lead to a giant beanstalk growing outside their window. As Jack climbs the beanstalk, he meets a giant named Gregory (Butlers Cormac), who is on a quest to save his kingdom from the evil giant, Lord Plyrm (Ralph Fiennes).