Why Barbie Just Got Banned In Vietnam
Not everything is sunshine in Barbieland, as it's been announced the upcoming summer blockbuster "Barbie," starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, will not have screenings in Vietnam. According to Deadline, Vietnamese authorities made the ruling based on a scene containing a map of the South China Sea with the "nine-dash line" that's been hotly contested by the government. The film was originally scheduled to come out in the country on July 21.
The "nine-dash line" represents China's territorial claims within the South China Sea. Vietnam has long held that such claims violate the country's sovereignty and do not view it as valid. This line was also struck down in The Hague in 2016, but China has refused to recognize that decision. Deadline also included a quote from Vi Kien Thanh, director general of the Vietnam Cinema Department, published in the state-run newspaper Tuoi Tre, "We do not grant license for the American movie 'Barbie' to release in Vietnam because it contains the offending image of the nine-dash line." Other countries with competing claims in the South China Sea include Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei, and the Philippines.
It isn't the first time Vietnam has banned a movie over the nine-dash line
Vietnam has been consistent in not allowing any movies to be shown that contain the "nine-dash line." The animated film "Abominable" made headlines in 2019 after it screened in the country upon release, only for viewers to quickly recognize the presence of the "nine-dash line" in the movie. BBC reported how the line could be spotted in one scene with a map in the background, and the government pulled the film from theaters promptly. The exhibitor received fines, and staff within the Vietnam Cinema Department faced disciplinary action for not spotting the image right away.
A similar fate befell 2022's "Uncharted," and the Australian Netflix series "Pine Gap" had to be removed from the Vietnamese marketplace. Other shows, including "Madam Secretary" and "Put Your Head On My Shoulder," were ordered to delete scenes containing the line from a map in order to air in the country. "Barbie" isn't even the first film in 2023 to get banned in Vietnam. "John Wick: Chapter 4" was unofficially banned in the country due to starring Donnie Yen, who's a vocal proponent of the Chinese government and supports the "nine-dash line."
The ban won't likely slow down the "Barbie" train too much. The film's currently projected to open between $70 and $80 million opening weekend, with plenty more dough coming in the weeks following.