‘Barbie’ map controversy slapped down by Warner Bros.: ‘Child-like crayon drawing’

New York Post Reports: The highly-anticipated “Barbie” movie has been the subject of many popular trends around the world — but Vietnam’s decision to ban the movie has been making headlines

Now Warner Bros. is attempting to clarify its intention.

The film, directed by Greta Gerwig , was set to hit theaters in the country on July 21, aligning with its big-screen release in most countries around the world.

However, Vietnam announced the movie will not be released due to a scene that includes a map using the “nine-dash line” — a set of line segments that represents China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea — which Vietnam claims violates its sovereignty.

But the studio rejects the need for controversy.

“The map in Barbie Land is a child-like crayon drawing,” a spokesperson for the Warner Bros. Film Group told Variety . “The doodles depict Barbie’s make-believe journey from Barbie Land to the ‘real world.’ It was not intended to make any type of statement.”