Warner Bros Stands Firm on 'Barbie' Map Amidst Vietnam Ban
The studio released a statement on Thursday, asserting that the map used in the movie is nothing more than a "whimsical, child-like crayon drawing" and was not intended to make a political statement.
After Vietnam Ban Warner Bros studio has responded to Vietnam's decision to ban their upcoming film Barbie due to a scene featuring a map of the South China Sea with China's controversial nine-dash line, by stating that the map holds no political significance.
Barbie, set to be one of the most highly anticipated films of 2023, is directed by Greta Gerwig and stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
The studio released a statement on Thursday, asserting that the map used in the movie is nothing more than a "whimsical, child-like crayon drawing" and was not intended to make a political statement.
The South China Sea is an area of intense contention due to Beijing's claims of a U-shaped nine-dash line that overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of several Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam.
In 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled that China's claims over the waterway had no basis in law. Vietnam has a history of banning films with political content, having previously done so with Tom Holland's Uncharted and the animated movie Abominable in 2019.
The country has also launched a probe into the website of K-pop group Blackpink’s tour organiser due to a map of the South China Sea showing China's claims.
While it is evident that the dispute over the South China Sea is far from resolved, Warner Bros asserted that the map featured in Barbie has "no political significance" and that the film should not be used as a platform to make further statements.