The film opens with Mortimer Folchart (Brendan Fraser) and his wife Teresa "Resa" Folchart (Sienna Guillory) reading the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood" to their baby daughter Meggie Folchart, as a red velvet hood appears out of nowhere. Twelve years later, Meggie (Eliza Bennett) and her father visit an old book shop in Europe, unaware that Mo is secretly looking for a copy of the book ''Inkheart''. Shortly after Mo finds the book, Meggie encounters a horned marten outside the shop; it tries to bite her fingers. A man (Paul Bettany) suddenly appears from the shadows, claiming to be an old friend. Mo comes out of the shop, recognizing the man as Dustfinger, who quickly asks him to "read him back into the book". Mo flees with Meggie.