FACT CHECK: Was The Barbie Movie Banned In Serbia After It Included A Greater Albania Map?
An image shared on Instagram claims the Barbie movie has been banned in Serbia after it included a controversial map of Greater Albania.
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Verdict: False
The image is digitally altered and the claim is baseless. The film is still playing in Serbia.
Fact Check:
“Barbie” set the record for biggest movie debut of the year with a gross $155 million, according to Variety. The movie was also a hit in Serbia, where it had one of the biggest opening weekends of 2023, according to Forbes.
An Instagram post purports the movie “Barbie” is banned in Serbia. The photo shows an unattributed article featuring lead actress Margot Robbie in costume standing in front of a map displaying Serbia, Albania, Greece and Turkey.
“Barbie movie banned in Serbia over controversial ‘Greater Albania’ map,” the alleged headline reads.
The photo was digitally edited. The screenshot resembles a BBC article, but the alleged article cannot be found through a search of the publication’s website. Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports about the movie being banned in Serbia.
The movie actually was banned in Vietnam for a map showing a controversial depiction of the South China Sea, according to a YouTube video from NowThis News, a popular outlet for pop culture and politics. The map seen in this video does not show Albania. Instead, the real scene shows a colorful, inaccurate world map that appears to have been drawn by a child. (RELATED: Did Joe Biden And Barack Obama Wear Pink Suits To Promote The Barbie Movie?)
“Greater Albania” is a nationalist concept that historically ethnic Albanian parts of the Balkans should be returned to Albanian control, according to Axios. Pop star Dua Lipa, who is Albanian, faced backlash in 2020 for tweeting a picture an image associated with the concept, BBC reported.
A BBC spokesperson confirmed that the article is fake in an email to Check Your Fact.
