Director Quentin Tarantino slams ‘The Hunger Games’ as a ‘rip-off’ of ‘Battle Royale’
Director Quentin Tarantino has accused the “Hunger Games” series of being a “rip-off” of the Japanese movie “Battle Royale.”
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Director Quentin Tarantino has made no secret of his feelings for the popular book series.
The famed director had some choice words about The Hunger Games during a recent appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, accusing the Suzanne Collins book series of imitating Hiroharu Takami’s 1999 novel Battle Royale, also about dystopian teenage competition, which was also made into a film by director Kinji Fukasaku in 2000. Battle Royale has repeatedly topped Tarantino’s list of favorite movies.
“‘Battle Royale’ is based on a novel. I don’t understand why the Japanese writers didn’t sue Suzanne Collins for all the (expletive) stuff she owns,” Tarantino said on the Tuesday, Nov. 25 episode of the podcast. “They just stole the (expletive) book!”
Tarantino went on to criticize book reviewers who failed to point out the similarities between Collins. “Stupid book reviewers would never go see a Japanese movie called ‘Battle Royale.’ That’s why the stupid book reviewers didn’t criticize Collins for this movie. They were talking about how it was the most innovative (expletive) thing they had ever read. As soon as the movie critics saw this movie, they said, ‘What (expletive)? Except it’s just ‘Battle Royale.’ PG!”
Collins has previously denied that her work was inspired by Takami. In 2011, she told the New York Times, “I had never even heard of the book or its author until it was submitted. At that point, it was mentioned and I asked my editor if I should read it. My editor said, ‘No, I don’t want that world in your head. Just keep doing what you’re doing.'”
The Hunger Games best-selling book series has become more than just a popular book series. It was a gateway to early fandom culture, cosplay material, middle school games to play in the woods, and dystopian literature.
The film series continues to generate buzz and box office magic, with the original film and its first sequel both grossing over $400 million since their release, according to Box Office Mojo.
The sixth film, Sunrise on the Leaping, is scheduled to be released in theaters on November 20, 2026. The dystopian drama, an adaptation of Collins’ prequel about Katniss Everdeen’s mentor Haymitch Abernathy, is set 24 years before the events of the first film, during the 50th Hunger Games, a special quarterquel that occurs every 25 years. Abernathy, who later becomes Everdeen’s strict but endearing advisor, is the winner of these games.
Top 20 Tarantino movies include these classics
Tarantino’s comments came as he listed his favorite films of the 21st century so far. The first 10 of his list of 20 are:
- “West Side Story” directed by Steven Spielberg (20th place)
- Eli Roth’s “Cabin Fever” (No. 19)
- Bennett Miller’s “Moneyball” (No. 18)
- Pracha Pingaeo “Chocolate” (No.17)
- Rob Zombie’s “The Devil’s Rejects” (No.16)
- Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” (No. 15)
- Richard Linklater’s “School of Rock” (No. 14)
- “Jackass: The Movie” directed by Jeff Tremaine (13th place)
- “Big Bad Wolves” by Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushad (No. 12)
- Kinji Fukasaku’s “Battle Royale” (No. 11)
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