Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is the most highly-anticipated film of the year – sorry Oppenheimer – but fans in one country won’t be able to see it in cinemas.
The movie, set for release in the UK on 21 July, has been banned in Vietnam over a scene featuring a map of the South China Sea.
The sea forms part of the Pacific Ocean and for decades, it’s been at the centre of a territorial dispute as multiple countries have contested China’s claim of ownership over the waters.
The Hague ruled against China in 2016 but the country has ignored the judgement and continues to build artificial islands with military bases and carry out naval patrols on the sea.
We know what you’re thinking – how does this relate to Barbie? Well, according to the BBC, the film features a map of South East Asia which shows a nine-dash line used to indicate China’s claim over the territory.
The map has been labelled an “offensive image” by Vietnamese officials and as a result, Barbie’s debut there has been cancelled.
Barbie is far from the first movie to be deemed unsuitable for public viewing in Vietnam and the 2019 animated movie Abominable was banned for the same reason.
Elsewhere in the world, excitement for the much talked-about film is reaching new heights on a daily basis.
On Sunday, Margot Robbie hit the pink carpet in South Korea for the first of the many Barbie premieres and didn’t disappoint in not one, but two, suitably bright outfits.
In the States, fans have also been given the chance to stay in a real-life Barbie dream house which has been constructed in Malibu.
Barbie is released in UK cinemas on Friday 21 July.