The “Uncharted” video game series, developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, is an industry-lauded series exclusively for PlayStation consoles. There are four mainline games, the last of which — “Uncharted: A Thief’s End” — released in 2018. Revered for its cinematic storytelling and strong characters, it was no surprise when Sony decided to give the Uncharted series the feature film treatment.
Released in 2022, the “Uncharted” film stars Tom Holland as series protagonist, Nathan Drake, and Mark Wahlberg as Victor “Sully” Sullivan, Nate’s treasure-hunting mentor. While the movie fared well at the box office (grossing over $407 million against a $120 million production budget), overall critical reception was lukewarm. Then there’s the fact that the movie was banned in Vietnam and the Philippines — and the ban came about because of a map.
In the Ruben Fleischer-directed film, there’s a scene where the characters are observing an ancient map that features the infamous “nine-dash line” in the South Asian Sea. Historically, the line implies that China controls the various islands scattered around the mark, including the Spratly and Paracel Islands. But the area is a contentious region claimed by multiple countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines.
Both nations view the nine-dash line as a symbol of China’s territorial claims, which have been the subject of decades-long maritime disputes. Displaying the line on a map, even in a fictional context, is often seen as legitimizing China’s authority over the region.
Maps, movies, and international drama
As a result of the nine-dash line, “Uncharted” was banned in Vietnam. The film originally screened in the Philippines, but was later pulled from theaters. The country’s Foreign Ministry emphasized that the image was “contrary to national interest.” Consequently, theaters were instructed to stop screening the film, and any future releases would require edits to remove or obscure the controversial map.
This move sparked debate among fans and moviegoers. However, for authorities in both Vietnam and the Philippines, even brief imagery that touches on sensitive geopolitical issues was enough to warrant strict action.
Oddly enough, a similar nine-dash line conflict would emerge a year later in a cinematic context. The 2023 film “Barbie” also features a scene where characters examine a map which happens to contain the contested demarcation.
Here’s hoping that future installations of the Mattel Cinematic Universe will avoid stepping into geopolitical hot zones, and that any future Uncharted films (fan or otherwise) will follow the same course.
