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Vietnam bans 'Barbie' movie over South China Sea map

America Ferrera, Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie attend the Seoul Premiere of "Barbie" on July 02, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
America Ferrera, Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie attend the Seoul Premiere of "Barbie" on July 02, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

In Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” star Margot Robbie stands in front of a controversial map that reflects China’s disputed claim to the South China Sea. It’s such a sensitive issue that Vietnam has banned the movie from theaters, and regulators in the Philippines are threatening to do the same.

This is not the first time the South China Sea has caused issues for Hollywood in Asia. Aynne Kokas, author of “Hollywood Made in China,” joins us.

 

 

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.