Warner Bros. The highly anticipated Barbie movie has been banned in Vietnam.
The film, directed by Greta Gerwig, was scheduled to hit theaters in the country on July 21, aligning with its big-screen release in most countries all over the world.
Nonetheless, state media announced that the film wouldn’t be released as a consequence of a scene that incorporates a map that uses a “nine-dash line” – a set of line segments representing China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea – which Vietnam claims violates its sovereignty.
“We don’t license US film Barbie in Vietnam since it incorporates an offensive image of a nine-line dash,” state newspaper Tuoi Tre reported, citing Vi Kien Thanh, head of the Cinema Department (via Reuters).
Vi Kien Thanh said the choice was made by the National Film Rating Board.
![Margot Robbie in a scene with](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000010265322.jpg?w=1024)
![ANKARA, Türkiye - JANUARY 06: Infographic titled](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013530347.jpg?w=1024)
The U-shaped line, which first appeared on maps in 1947, covers parts of what Vietnam considers its continental shelf, where it has granted oil concessions.
This line is extremely controversial as a lot of China’s neighbors – including Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam – have competing and overlapping territorial claims, and China’s territory is disputed.
Barbie just isn’t the primary film to have problems with its release in Vietnam amid the “nine strokes” dispute.
![](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000011727118.jpg?w=1024)
![Simu Liu, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000009210295.jpg?w=1024)
![BARBIE, American character poster, Margot Robbie as Barbie, 2023](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000011230895.jpg?w=819)
In 2019, DreamWorks’ “Abominable” was banned for a similar reason, while Sony’s “Unchartered” was banned last 12 months. TV series “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” and “Madam Secretary” were as a consequence of remove some scenes containing the map in 2020, and Netflix needed to remove Australian spy drama “Pine Gap” from streaming in Vietnam in 2021.
“Barbie” in the lead role Margot Robbie AND Ryan Goslingwill debut in US theaters on July 21.