Topline
Warner Bros has defended the hotly anticipated Barbie movie after Vietnam banned the film over a scene featuring a map showing China’s unilateral claim over territory in the South China Sea, which it said was a “child-like” drawing and not intended as a statement.
Margot Robbie stars in the upcoming Barbie film.
Key Facts
Warner Bros said it believed the controversial map shown in the upcoming Barbie movie was harmless and was not a statement on affairs in the contested South China Sea, according to a statement given to media outlets and first reported by Variety.
Vietnamese officials banned domestic distribution of the film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling over a scene it said showed a map of the South China Sea using the nine-dash line, which China uses to illustrate its claim to territory in the region.
Without giving away details for the upcoming film—the map can be seen in the trailer—the studio described the map as “doodles” depicting the titular character’s “make-believe journey from Barbie Land to the real world.”
Rather than a work of serious cartography, Warner Bros said the map “is a whimsical, child-like crayon drawing.”
It “was not intended to make any type of statement,” the studio said.
Warner Bros did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
News Peg
Vietnam banned Greta Gerwig’s Barbie flick for domestic distribution on Monday for a scene showing a map with China’s claim over the South China Sea, one of the most economically and strategically important stretches of water in the world. Beijing claims almost all territory in the region on the grounds of historic use—it illustrates this on maps with the nine-dash line—and has tried to bolster its position by building military installations and even entire islands in strategic locations. China’s broad claim is not recognized by the international community or under international law and was rejected by an international tribunal in The Hague in 2016, though Beijing has dismissed this ruling. The matter is a political minefield, with nearby governments like Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam contesting China’s claim as an affront to their sovereignty and international powers like the U.S. keen to shore up their interests in the region. As such, even images of maps showing the nine-dash line are controversial, even illegal, in countries like Vietnam, prompting movies showing it to be pulled and Barbie is far from the first to be barred from distribution. Dreamworks’ Abominable was pulled in Malaysia and Vietnam in 2019 and Tom Holland’s Uncharted was banned in Vietnam in 2022, both over the use of the nine-dash line in maps.
What To Watch For
Like Vietnam, the Philippines is also a key player in the dispute over the South China Sea. The country’s Movie and Television Review and Classification Board is currently weighing whether Barbie is acceptable for domestic release.
Key Background
Barbie is one of the most anticipated releases of the year. The film is a live-action story about the famous Mattel dolls of the same name. There’s also Ken. Apparently, she’s everything. He’s just Ken. The production is an all-star affair. The film’s cast includes the likes of Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, Ncuti Gatwa, Michael Cera, Simu Liu, America Ferrera and Dua Lipa and the soundtrack, produced by Mark Ronson, includes songs from Nicki Minaj, Dua Lipa, Ava Max, Charli XCX, Khalid and Lizzo. There has been a good deal of social media hype surrounding the film—much centered on its shared release date with Oppenheimer— It is due to be released in the U.S. on July 21 and expectations are high for its performance at the box office.
Further Reading
‘Barbie’ Movie Banned In Vietnam Over Controversial Map (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/07/07/warner-bros-defends-child-like-map-that-got-barbie-banned-in-vietnam/