Earlier this year, Jon Negroni proposed "The Pixar Theory," an elaborate idea that suggests that every Pixar movie exists in the same universe.
While there are Easter Eggs that show up from one film to the next (the "Toy Story" pizza truck can be spotted in most movies), the idea is a bit of a stretch.
The theory draws elaborate parallels between each of the studio's 14 films starting with 2013's "Brave" in the 14th or 15th century, and weaving past "The Incredibles" and the "Toy Story" films before ending up at the "Monsters Inc." movies in between the years 4000 and 5000.
First, here's a look at how Negroni weaves all of Pixar's films together.
Negroni's theory says the Pixar universe is connected when the studio's films are put in the following order: "Brave," "The Incredibles," "Toy Story," "Toy Story 2," "Finding Nemo," Ratatouille," "Toy Story 3," "Up," "Cars," "Cars 2," "Wall-E," "A Bugs Life," "Monsters University," and "Monsters Inc."
The theory suggests that the magic introduced in "Brave" allows inanimate objects in every subsequent film to exist.
"It all starts with Merida discovering "the-will-of-the-wisps" (magic). The Magic turns her mother into a bear. This magic is why animals and inanimate objects (brooms & tools) behave like humans," Negroni writes.
Disney
He suggests human pollution and experimentation hinted at in 2003's "Finding Nemo" has led to curiosity in animals who "carry more humanistic behaviors."
Disney / Pixar
While "Up" foreshadows the fall of civilization to a large corporation after elderly man Carl is threatened to give up his home and land to fictional company Buy and Large (BnL) which appears in numerous Pixar movies.
Negroni suggests a war ensued between humans and animals while blaming BnL for polluting the Earth as eventually seen in "Wall-E."
This leads to the rest of the human race heading to space to live out their days before returning to Earth to rebuild.
Disney / Pixar
You can read more on the theory on Negroni's blog, here.
Pixar has been pretty quiet on whether the fan theory held any water.
Last year, Pixar's Jay Ward laughed off the theory to Jalopnik saying, "I think somebody had a lot of time on their hands."
"The movies were sort of made in a different order by different directors in different times, in different places," he added. "It's cool that it all worked out that way, but it probably was not intentional."
Recently, Movies.com caught up with "Monsters University" director Dan Scanlon and producer Kori Rae to ask once and for all what Pixar thinks of the very complex universe.
"It's a funny idea, but we would've had to be insane geniuses to have plotted that out." Rae said, "It's nothing that we talk about at Pixar, I don't think. Or at least I don't. I'm sure people do, though."
So, while the theory is fun and in-depth, it's definitely no more than that, a theory.
Scanlon does admit it's clear some of the movies are connected in the same broad universe by brands that appear in the films.
"When you really think about - all the Easter eggs and stuff, you know what I mean," Scanlon told Movies.com.
"Like the toy [bear from Toy Story 3] in Up, or the Rex action figure in WALL-E. You gotta think - obviously we build on a world, and it's not for any other reason than a fun thing to do, but you can't deny that certain products are sold in the same world."