A carousel horse that appears in the trailer for Florence Pugh's new romantic comedy has left movie fans in stitches and sparked dozens of social media memes.

Oxford actor Ms Pugh stars in the 'unconventional' love story of a recent divorcée and an on-the-rise chef over a decade in their lives together in the film We Live in Time. 

In snapshots, Almut (Pugh) and Tobias’ (Andrew Garfield) blissful relationship begins to unfold, from falling in love to having a daughter together, before Almut receives a devastating diagnosis.

A newly released promotional image shows the couple attending a carnival at night and taking a ride on a carousel.

The newly released promotional image for We Live In Time (Image: Studio Canal)

But rather than focusing on the loved-up pair movie goers have taken to social media to comment on the 'crazed' carousel horse in the foreground.

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The horse became an instant meme and has been dropped into the infamous scene in The Godfather as a  decapitated head in the bed, replaced the shark in Jaws when it lurches onto the fishing boat and popped through the broken wood as Jack Nicholson takes an axe to the bathroom door in The Shining.

Elsewhere, it has been dropped into Alien 3 inches away from Ripley's face as she cowers in fear. 

Bottleneck Gallery of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has even created a badge of the carousel horse's face with the proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

It is the second time marketing material related to movies by Ms Pugh, daughter of Oxford restaurateur Clinton Pugh, has gone viral.

Earlier this year, the Dune-themed popcorn bucket was likened by moviegoers to a notorious sex toy, Mail Online reported.

The popcorn bucket's opening which was meant to resemble the mouth of the franchise's sandworm, was parodied in an ode on top US comedy showcase Saturday Night Live.

We Live In Time is in cinemas in the UK on January 1, 2025.