The earliest adaptation of Around the World in Eighty Days was provided by Verne himself. He wrote a lavish stage production of his novel, complete with elephants, snakes, and a real locomotive.

It premiered in 1874, and ran for two years with enormous success. One of the most amusing modern motion picture adaptations was directed by Mike Todd for Warner Brothers. It had an impressive cast that starred David Niven as the imperturbable Englishman Fogg and the Mexican comedian Cantinflas as Passepartout. Famous stars like Marlene Dietrich, Shirley MacLaine, Charles Boyer, and Frank Sinatra provided cameo appearances, and Phileas Fogg even outdoes his literary counterpart by riding in a balloon. The film captures much of the color and excitement of the original. In 1989 the BBC aired a television series, Around the World in Eighty Days, where Michael Palin duplicates Fogg's adventurous feats.