MacGuffin

The MacGuffin is a plot element, that catches the audiences' attention or drives the plot of a work of fiction.

In the MacGuffin the major players in the story are willing to do and sacrifice almost anything to obtain it, regardless of what the MacGuffin actually is.

The MacGuffin can be ambiguous and it can be things like money or power.

The MacGuffin is often forgotten even though it is sometimes introduced at the start or at the end of the film.