‘Barbie’ Has Been Banned in Asia
The upcoming Margot Robbie Barbie movie is one of the most anticipated movies of 2023, but it is turning out to be a bit more controversial than anyone could have expected. The Greta Gerwig-directed film has become a casualty of long-simmering territorial claims in the South China Sea and has been banned from release in Vietnam, according to a new report from Deadline.
According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Vi Kien Thanh (the director general of the Vietnam Cinema Department), Barbie will not be released in Vietnam due to a scene that depicts a map of the South China Sea with the “nine-dash line” representing China’s territorial claims in the area.
Vi Kien Thanh specifically said “We do not grant a license for the American movie Barbie to release in Vietnam because it contains the offending image of the nine-dash line,” and that the decision had been made by the National Film Evaluation Council.
China and Vietnam Have Competing Territorial Claims
The nine-dash line is a hotly contested international issue, indicating the People’s Republic of China’s assertion of sovereignty over an area of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, and China all claim this territory; the Hague ruled against China’s claim in 2016, which the country refuses to recognize.
‘Barbie’ Has Become Part of an International Conflict
Undoubtedly, no one at Warner Bros Pictures or Mattel could have expected that Barbie would become part of an ongoing international dispute. However, Vietnam does have a tendency to ban American films that depict the nine-dash line, including the Tom Holland adventure film Uncharted (2022) and the DreamWorks animated movie Abominable (2019). John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) was reportedly unofficially banned due to starring Donnie Yen, the Chinese film star who vocally supports the nine-dash line.
It will have to remain to be seen how Barbie being banned in Vietnam will impact its global box office. The movie is being highly promoted by Warner Bros and stars Margot Robbie, one of the most recognizable film stars in the world at the moment, but being prevented from showing in an entire country can’t be good for anyone’s bottom line.
Barbie also co-stars Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Sharon Rooney, Dua Lipa, Nicola Coughlan, Ana Cruz Kayne, and Ritu Arya as various versions of Barbie. Various versions of Ken are played by Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa, and John Cena.