Warner Bros., the American Entertainment company behind the upcoming live-action movie “Barbie”, has spoken up and defended the film against the widespread criticism due to the controversial world map in one specific scene.
The movie received backlash as many claimed that the map shown featured the “nine-dash line” or the line that China uses to mark its territorial claims over vast areas of the South China Sea, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brunei.
But for Warner Bros., the “child-like” map is completely harmless.
“The map in Barbie Land is a whimsical, child-like crayon drawing," it said in a statement released Friday.
"The doodles depict Barbie's make-believe journey from Barbie Land to the real world,” the Warner Bros. added.
The American Entertainment company underscored that the map was not created to purposely “make any type of statement."
The Vietnamese government first banned the “Barbie The Movie” from domestic distribution due to the “nine-dash line”. The film was supposed to be premiered in Vietnam next week, July 21.
Outraged by the fantasy film's depiction of the “nine-dash line”, several Senators also called for a ban on the "Barbie The movie".
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has reviewed the film but it has yet to issue a decision on whether or not the movie will be granted a permit to screen in local theaters in the country.
