Barbie movie banned in Vietnam over ‘illegal image’, local reports claim

Highly anticipated summer blockbuster Barbie has been banned in Vietnam due to its use of an “illegal image”, according to local media.

The film, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, reportedly contains a scene that depicts a map with the “nine dash line”.

The “nine dash line” is a representation of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Vietnam says violates its sovereignty.

According to Vietnamese outlet VNExpress, director general of the Vietnam Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Vi Kien Thanh, announced the ban on Monday.

The decision was made by the National Film Evaluation Council, VNExpress reported.

Barbie is due for release in the UK on July 21, the same day as Christopher Nolan’s historical epic Oppenheimer.

It sees Robbie’s Barbie leave the utopian Barbie Land after questioning her mortality, travelling to the real world with Gosling’s Ken.

The trailer for the upcoming film states: “If you love Barbie, this movie is for you. If you hate Barbie, this movie is for you.”