The newest emerging sensation on TikTok is an enigmatic cartoon reptile.
Standing in a completely dark room, grinning slightly dazedly, the green reptile keeps slapping a little lizard image on a luminous screen, each time causing an automated voice to shout “lizard.”
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It originates from a post-credits sequence in the June release of Disney’s most recent Pixar movie, Elio. Hoppers, a Pixar film that will be released in theaters next spring, was promoted by the scene.
However, the video has become a viral meme in recent weeks, and the soundbite has appeared in several internet musical remixes.
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The teaser gained popularity after YouTuber The Pixar Nerd uploaded a video of it on June 20, according to the meme website Know Your Meme. A month later, on July 27, a user-made green-screen template with the lizard was shared by the TikTok account igreenscreenthings.
More than 78,000 TikTok movies depicting spamming behaviors like skipping songs, irritating pals, or fast-forwarding through corporate compliance trainings have been inspired by the design.
One TikToker used the meme to write, “My last brain cell trying to make it through the workday,” in the text of their video.
Numerous fan works have also been influenced by the lizard. One user created a T-shirt to commemorate the joke, while another created a cake that resembled a lizard and had a moving smacking arm.
Making mashups of the lizard soundbite with other well-known songs has helped one TikTok creator acquire a lot of popularity. A lizard mashup with the 2010 classic “Like A G6” garnered over 12 million views, while other mashups featuring hits like “Rap God” by Eminem, “WAP” by Cardi B, and “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC each received millions of views.
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Last weekend, a performer at an EDM music festival in Denver even used the lizard in their onstage performance.
Last week, Pixar’s official social media channels acknowledged the meme’s popularity. His name is Tom, the animation studio wrote when it uploaded the video to its platforms.
“See Tom in Disney & Pixar s#Hoppers, arriving in theaters March 6, 2026.” The caption was written by Pixar.
The new movie, which follows a girl named Mabel as her consciousness gets transferred into the body of a robotic beaver, apparently allows her to converse with other animals. Tom is not shown in the teaser video.
Pixar has been contacted by NBC News for comment.
Despite the fact that not much is known about Tom the lizard, he continues to captivate many people on the internet.
or, at the very least, are unable to stop thinking about him.
