Along with offering his opinion on the best films of the 21st century, filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has also shared a fairly strong opinion about the mega-grossing “The Hunger Games” franchise.
During his appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast (via THR) this week, the two-time Oscar-winner calls “The Hunger Games” a rip-off of the legendary 2000 Japanese cult film “Battle Royale” – one of his personal favourites.
The claim is hardly a new criticism levelled at the movie; it was one cited in many reviews of the first film. But both films are adaptations of books, with “The Hunger Games” based on Suzanne Collins’ book series.
Tarantino got quite vocal in how her book series ripped off the earlier film:
“I do not understand how the Japanese writer didn’t sue Suzanne Collins for every f—ing thing she owns. They just ripped off the f—in’ book. Stupid book critics are not going to go watch a Japanese movie called Battle Royale so the stupid book critics never called her on it.
They talked about how it was the most original f—in’ thing they’d ever read. As soon as the film critics saw the film, they said, ‘What the f—? This is just Battle Royale except PG!'”
Set in a dystopian future in Japan, “Battle Royale” follows a group of teenagers who are forced by a totalitarian government to fight to the death in a competition until only one remains. The film itself was based on the 1999 novel of the same name.
Set in a dystopian future in the fictional North American country of Panem, “The Hunger Games” follows a group of teenagers who are forced by a totalitarian government to fight to the death in a televised competition until only one remains. The film itself was based on the 2008 novel of the same name.
In 2011, Collins told The New York Times that she’d never heard of “Battle Royale” until her book was turned into her editor. She then asked the editor if she should read that book, the editor telling her “No, I don’t want that world in your head. Just continue with what you’re doing.”
