Quentin Tarantino calls 'The Hunger Games' a ‘blatant ripoff’ of Japanese film

Quentin Tarantino has reignited a long-running debate over the originality of The Hunger Games, calling the blockbuster franchise a “blatant ripoff” of the Japanese cult hit Battle Royale.

Speaking on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, Tarantino didn’t hold back, saying he “does not understand how the Japanese writer didn’t sue [Suzanne Collins] for every fking thing she owns.”

He added, “They just ripped off the fkin book,” noting that critics immediately recognized the similarities when the first film hit theatres.

Collins’ dystopian saga, which debuted in 2008, has sold over 100 million copies worldwide and spawned five major motion pictures. The franchise has grossed $3.3 billion at the global box office.

Tarantino compared the central premise of The Hunger Games to Battle Royale (2000), based on Koushun Takami’s 1999 novel, pointing out the striking parallels: in both stories, young people are forced by a totalitarian government to fight to the death in a deadly competition.

This isn’t the first time Tarantino has voiced his criticism. In 2022, during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he called the franchise a direct lift from Battle Royale.

“I'm a big fan of the Japanese movie Battle Royale, which is what Hunger Games was based on… That would have been awesome to have directed Battle Royale,” he said at the time.