"They just ripped off the fu**ing book!": Quentin Tarantino accuses The Hunger Games of being a Battle Royale knockoff

Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has claimed that Suzanne Collins’ popular book The Hunger Games draws heavily on Koushun Takami's 1999 Japanese novel Battle Royale. Takami's story was also turned into a movie by Kinji Fukasaku in 2000.

“Battle Royale is based on a novel. I do not understand how the Japanese writer didn’t sue Suzanne Collins for every f---ing thing she owns,” Tarantino said on a recent episode of The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast. “They just ripped off the f---ing book!”

Quentin Tarantino blasts #TheHungerGames for ripping off "Battle Royale" as he starts to reveal the 20 best movies of the 21st century.

"I do not understand how the Japanese writer didn’t sue Suzanne Collins for every f*cking thing she owns. They just ripped off the f*cking… pic.twitter.com/17tpP2DIiV

— Variety (@Variety) November 26, 2025

Quentin Tarantino highlights battle royale similarities to The Hunger Games

Tarantino pointed out how Battle Royale and The Hunger Games stories share striking resemblances. He mentioned that each revolves around young people in dystopian settings who are forced into deadly competitions.

He also said literary critics overlooked these connections when The Hunger Games came out in 2008.

“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,” he explained. “They talked about how it was the most original thing they’d ever f---ing read.”

Collins, however, has previously stated she was unaware of Battle Royale while writing her novel.

In a 2011 interview with The New York Times, she said:

“I had never heard of that book or that author until my book was turned in. At that point, it was mentioned to me, and I asked my editor if I should read it. He said, 'No, I don’t want that world in your head. Just continue with what you’re doing.'”

Quentin Tarantino noted that the conversation around the similarities gained traction after The Hunger Games was adapted into a 2012 film.

“As soon as the film critics saw Hunger Games, [they said,] ‘What the f---! This is just Battle Royale except PG!” he recalled, although the movie was rated PG-13.

Tarantino also recounted an online joke that emerged when the movie was released, parodying a famous Pulp Fiction scene.

“The weekend that Hunger Games opened, there was a meme of Sam Jackson and John Travolta driving down the street,” he said. “‘Hey, you know what they call The Hunger Games in France? Battle Royale with cheese.’”

The release of Battle Royale in Japan stirred debate from the start. It got an R15+ rating for showing intense teenage violence and faced backlash from conservative politicians. The movie took more than ten years to reach the United States.

However, it built a loyal fanbase through small festival showings. It finally became easy to purchase on Blu-ray on March 20, 2012, just a few days before The Hunger Games hit theaters.

Tarantino’s remarks bring up old arguments about originality, adaptations, and inspiration in popular stories.

They make people question how Japanese dystopian tales may connect to Western young adult books.