Greta Gerwig's Barbie has been generating significant buzz as a highly anticipated summer blockbuster. The Barbie trailer has captivated audiences with its hilarious scenes, while numerous celebrities have taken part in the viral Barbiecore trend. However, the 2023 new movie release has encountered a significant obstacle with its recent ban from screening in Vietnam, and for quite the specific reason. This is not an isolated incident, as previous movies like Dreamworks' Abominable and Sony's Uncharted have faced similar bans in the past. Now a representative for Warner Bros., the production company behind Barbie, has finally responded to the ban in Vietnam.
In a particular scene featuring Margot Robbie and Kate McKinnon in her post-SNL gig as "Weird Barbie," a controversial map takes center stage. The whimsical drawing seen above, which is filled with playful dolphins and a floating hashtag, caught the attention of Vietnam's cinema authorities, sparking their displeasure this week. The illustration portrays what some call the "nine-dash line," a contentious representation linked to China's territorial assertions in the South China Sea. However, according to a spokesperson from the studio, this interpretation is inaccurate. The representative clarified the situation in a statement given to Variety:
