Quentin Tarantino Calls Out ‘Hunger Games’ as ‘Battle Royale’ Rip-Off

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Quentin Tarantino recently discussed his favorite movies of the 21st century on the “Bret Easton Ellis Podcast.” What really caught people’s attention, though, was his take on stories that seem to copy each other – he specifically compared the movie “The Hunger Games” to the Japanese film “Battle Royale.”

Quentin Tarantino has long been a fan of “Battle Royale,” so it’s no surprise it’s one of his favorite movies. He shared that he first watched it in Japan, where the director, Kinji Fukasaku, gave him a special, private showing.

He was deeply impressed by the film’s power when he first saw it. When he screened it again at the Seattle Film Festival, he felt the audience wouldn’t be prepared for its impact.

When the discussion turned to the similarities between “The Hunger Games” and “Battle Royale,” Quentin Tarantino expressed his surprise that the creators of “Battle Royale” didn’t sue Suzanne Collins, the author of “The Hunger Games.” He felt the two stories were essentially based on the same concept: young people compelled to fight for their survival.

He expressed strong disbelief that the Japanese author hadn’t taken legal action against Suzanne Collins, claiming her work was a blatant copy of theirs. He also criticized book reviewers for failing to acknowledge the similarities, suggesting they hadn’t even seen the original Japanese film, ‘Battle Royale,’ and therefore praised Collins’ work as groundbreaking when it wasn’t.

Tarantino noted that critics had a strong reaction to the film, comparing it to ‘Battle Royale.’ He explained they essentially said, ‘Wait a minute—this is just a PG version of ‘Battle Royale’!’

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2025-11-27 10:44