A Viral TikTok Theory Connects Barbie, The Lego Movie, & Elf

Following the box office success of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, rumblings of a Mattel Cinematic Universe have already begun, with the company’s real-life CEO, Ynon Kreiz, expressing interest in the idea. However, one viral TikTok claims that a movie toy-verse is already underway and it all began with The Lego Movie.

In the 2014 comedy, Will Ferell plays a passionate Lego collector known as “The Man Upstairs.” Over on TikTok, user Eli Saley shared his theory that Ferrell’s Lego Movie character could possibly be the CEO of a toy company, given his love of the iconic yellow figurines. The viral clip points out that Ferrell also stars as the fictional and unnamed Mattel CEO in Barbie, who, like his Lego character, has a passion for toys — suggesting that they could be the same person.

However, the theory doesn’t stop there. The widely-shared TikTok also explores why Ferrell’s Barbie and Lego Movie characters are “so obsessed with toys,” pointing to the 2003 Christmas comedy Elf, in which Ferrell stars as Buddy the Elf — who also has an affinity for all things toys after working in Santa’s North Pole workshop.

In the clip, it is theorized that Buddy might also be the same person as Ferrell’s The Man Upstairs and Mattel CEO, and Elf is the beginning of his story. The TikTok claims that one notable scene in the festive comedy, during which Buddy expertly builds a Lego version of New York City, also backs up the possible Lego Movie connection.

Fans were quick to share their thoughts on this latest Barbie movie theory, with one user pointing out: “Barbie and The Lego Movie doesn’t really specify Will’s first name, and The Lego Movie doesn’t specify where he works, so this theory sounds plausible.”

“This is cannon as far as I'm concerned,” another fan commented on TikTok, while one user also joked that “the Will Ferrell-verse is real.”