New couple Alice (Paula Patton) and David (Matthew Goode) take their less than enthusiastic children on a family holiday in a Cornwall cottage to meet each other for the first time. The holiday takes an unexpected turn when the kids discover a magical (and very grumpy!) Psammead (Michael Caine) on the local beach, a creature with the power to grant wishes. They also meet local aristocratic oddball Tristan (Russell Brand), who wants to capture the Psammead for his own gain. The ensuing adventure brings the new siblings together as their wishes take them on a series of incredible escapades, teaching them that perhaps the lives they already lead aren’t entirely without their own sense of magic.