On the 21st of July, two highly anticipated movies of 2023 will hit the theatres, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. The battle for the top spot will be intense and both movies are expected to attract a lot of audiences around the world.
However, Barbie has faced a major setback. The movie was previously banned in Vietnam because there is a scene in the movie where viewers get to see China’s “nine-dash line” map. Several countries have rejected this unilaterally designed map, including Vietnam. Now, even the Philippines is planning on banning the movie.
Barbie will not be screened in Vietnam
It has been revealed that Vietnam has banned the screening of Greta Gerwig‘s Barbie in the country due to one particular scene. In the movie, there is a scene that depicts a map with the “nine-dash line,” a map of China’s controversial territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The map is rejected by multiple countries with overlapping claims, including Vietnam. Following the ban, the Philippines is also planning to ban the screening of the movie.
What can be done now?
Things are not looking too good for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie as the movie already couldn’t secure the IMAX theatres and now the ban, this all will result in a massive financial loss. With all the hype, one can easily tell that the movie will not be a massive flop but all these small factors may not let the movie reach its full potential. The cast includes some big stars of Hollywood like Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Emma Mackey, Simu Liu, and Will Ferrell.
In order to avoid the ban, filmmakers can get rid of that particular scene from the movie. There’s still time until the final release of the movie and a different version, without the controversial map, can be made for countries that are planning to ban the movie.
Will Barbie perform better than Oppenheimer?
Barbie releases on the same day as Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Nolan’s latest movie tells the iconic story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, also known as “the father of the atomic bomb” as he developed the world’s first nuclear weapons in the mid-1950s.
Nolan always delivers outstanding work and this time, he is expected to break several records. With IMAX theatres, there is no one to stop him from securing the top position a the global box office. Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One will also be a part of the battle as it is all set to release on 12th July 2023.
Barbie and Oppenheimer will hit the theatres on 21st July 2023.
Source: Twitter
