The project was first announced in September 2001, with Walden Media hiring Eric Brevig to direct an adaptation of Jules Verne's novel, though the cast wasn't attached until 2003 and filming did not begin until 2006.

The film cleverly places Jules Verne's original novel within its own universe, treating the book as a real, possibly factual account that the characters reference and investigate.

Josh Hutcherson's character Sean was named after real-life professor and conservation biologist Dr. Sean Anderson.

Development and filming took place across Canada and Iceland, with a preparatory phase completed in March 2006 before principal photography began on April 20 of that year.

The Canadian visual effects company Meteor Studios produced the film's computer graphics but declared bankruptcy immediately after finishing the work, leaving staff and freelancers unpaid for three months; a lawsuit and Brendan Fraser's direct intervention led to a settlement of 70% of what was owed.

The film pioneered the 4DX movie format, debuting in a specially designed cinema in Seoul, South Korea, that used tilting seats, wind, water sprays, probe lights simulating lightning, fog, and scents to enhance the theatrical experience.

Warner Bros. originally marketed the film like a theme park attraction and even had '3D' in the working title, but had to adjust the campaign and drop '3D' from the title when it became clear the film would screen in far fewer 3D theaters than expected.

A 15-minute 4D spin-off film called Journey to the Center of the Earth: 4-D Adventure was produced by SimEx-Iwerks and premiered in 2009, playing at venues like Stone Mountain Park, Dollywood, and Warner Bros. Movie World with moving seats, wind, mist, and scent effects.