A new theory about the upcoming Barbie movie has got fans seriously scratching their heads.

It's often the case with a hotly anticipated movie - as excitement builds, fans come out with some pretty wild ideas about how the movie might be when it finally hits the big screen.

But one eagle-eyed movie fan has pointed out some interesting visual features in the trailer for Greta Gerwig's Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.

It turns out that there appears to be a lot of references to the Hollywood classic, The Wizard of Oz, which was released all the way back in 1939.

Warner Bros.

Taking to TikTok to share the theory, they wrote: "I watched the Barbie trailer and replied something. Barbie's pink gingham dress is similar to Dorothy's but in a different colour.

"There's also a pink version of the Yellow Brick Road from The Wizard of Oz.

"But wait for the best part, The Wizard of Oz is actually playing in Barbie's theatre. So maybe the two movies will be connected?"

It's certainly a fun prospect to imagine what such a connection might end up looking like.

Maybe Barbieland is actually the Land of Oz, and Barbie was transported there as a child unknowingly and grew up among the Munchkins, who are now barbies? I know it's a stretch but the clues are definitely there.

Loews

But it seems more likely that the references tease a more thematic connection rather than some Avengers-style crossover.

There's no doubt that there are absolutely visual references to The Wizard of Oz in the trailer, which would be the case even without the film literally being shown at the cinema.

Fans also had some suggestions, taking to the comments to offer their thoughts.

One said: "I have a feeling it’s loosely based on the same theme - Her getting out of her normal world to explore herself."

Another posted: "I'm guessing it's fantasy to reality. like how WoO went from reality to fantasy."

It's easy to see how there could be thematic parallels between the two films, even with just seeing the trailer for Barbie.

TikTok/@its_ivanmars

Both seem to feature someone going from one world to another, and look like they have themes around self discovery and coming to terms with a strange new world.

The summary of the film describes it as "a doll living in Barbieland is expelled for not being perfect enough and sets off on an adventure in the real world."

There's of course the trope of the 'fish out of water', where the main character has to learn to adapt in their strange new environment to either tragic or hilarious effect.

Parallels have also been drawn between Barbie and Elf, which saw Will Ferrell playing the hyperactive titular character who finds himself in the worldly reality of New York City.